Sri Lanka defeated a fighting Hong Kong by 4 wickets with seven balls to spare needing 9 runs off the last two overs as Wanindu Hasaranga stepped in to smash the winning hit off the fifth ball of the penultimate over bowled by Ateel Iqbal for a boundary chasing down a brave 149 for 4 by the minnows yesterday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in their third Asia Cup match for a clean 6 points to standing tall to the top two teams in Group B.
Sri Lanka ended the contest on 153 for 6 after 18.5 overs as the underdogs Hong Kong made them fight all the way for it by posting a gallant T20 score given their little known reputation in the big stage arena.
A team comprising of mainly expatriate Arab players reduced Sri Lanka to 127 for 6 wickets after 17.1 overs in putting the brakes on an upfront mainstay knock of 68 off 44 balls by Pathum Nissanka containing 6 fours and 2 sixes as the minnows snatched 4 wickets for 9 runs for 9 runs before Hasaranga arrived to carry Sri Lanka to victory by a scorching knock in displaying his prowess with the bat as a great finisher in the company of Dasun Shanaka who had stood calm on one end as wickets tumbled at the other end to lending support to that finish for 6 off 3 having palmed majority of the strike to Hasaranga. Hasaranga rose to the moment in a head on battle making light of Iqbal’s fifth ball half volley with effortless ease moving his front foot away to the middle and leg delivery for leverage to smashing the ball past the bowler for the winning boundary.
The unknown entity Hong Kong fared simply great against a world champion image Sri Lanka in posting a challenging 149 for the loss of just 4 wickets off 20 overs thanks mainly to Nizakat Khan’s unbeaten 52 off 38 hitting 4 boundaries and 2 sixes and by opener Anshy Rath 48 off 46 with 4 boundaries and co-opener Zeeshan Alin 23 as the first wicket realised 41 to reaching 118 for 3 wickets after 15.5 overs in finishing on a pleasing T20 score of 149 for just four wickets.
Sri Lanka’s Dushmsntha Chameera pucked up 2 wickets for 29 off his 4 while Hasaranga and Shanaka took one each while Nuwan Thushar went for 36 runs from 4 and Asalanka 22 from 3 while Mahees Theekshana. recalled for Matheesha Pathirana. conceded 22 runs.