Abu Haider Rony’s late heroics in vain as Bangladesh A fall to Sri Lanka A by 19 runs
The match was marred by controversy regarding a dead ball, which led Bangladesh to lodge a protest, although the umpire's decision was not overturned.
In a tense encounter, Bangladesh 'A' team faced a challenging defeat against Sri Lanka 'A' by 19 runs in their do-or-die match at the Oman Cricket Ground, effectively eliminating them from the ACC Emerging Asia Cup.
With the previous batsmen failing to perform, hopes for victory were dwindling when Abu Haider Rony took to the crease. Rony's explosive batting brought a glimmer of hope, igniting excitement as he put up a fight until the 19th over. However, he couldn't carry the team alone, and as a result, Bangladesh 'A' exited the tournament.
Sri Lanka topped the group and advanced to the semi-finals, while Afghanistan secured the remaining spot in the last four. The path to the semi-finals became increasingly difficult for Bangladesh following their loss to Afghanistan. However, they still had a chance to secure progression; defeating Sri Lanka would have ensured their place in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, persistent batting failures prevented Bangladesh from reaching the final four.
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The match was marred by controversy regarding a dead ball, which led Bangladesh to lodge a protest, although the umpire's decision was not overturned.
Bangladesh needed 37 runs from 18 balls to win. Rony hit a six off the first ball of the 18th over, but the umpire declared that delivery a dead ball. The rationale behind this decision was unclear; commentators speculated that if a Sri Lankan player had been off the field, it should have been ruled a no ball rather than a dead ball.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first, posting a total of 161 runs for the loss of seven wickets after several moderate innings.
In response, Bangladesh got off to a brisk start, but Parvez Hossain Emon was dismissed quickly. Another opener, Saif Hasan, was performing well until he had to leave the field due to injury. After their departures, Rony was the sole player who continued to fight back, but Bangladesh's innings concluded at 142 runs for seven wickets.
In the chase, Rony emerged as Bangladesh's top scorer. The left-arm pacer remained unbeaten on 38 runs from 25 balls, hitting one four and three sixes. Emon contributed a brisk 24 runs off 10 balls, including two fours and two sixes, while Saif scored 29 runs from 20 balls with three sixes before leaving voluntarily.
Among the others, Tawhid Hridoy was the only batsman to reach double figures, scoring 12 runs off 13 balls. Dushan Hemanta was named player of the match for his impressive bowling, taking three wickets, while Nimesh Vimikuthi, Ramesh Mendes, Ishan Malinga, and Nipun Ransika each claimed one wicket.
Earlier in the innings, Pawan Ratnayake spearheaded Sri Lanka's batting attack with a blistering 42 runs off 26 balls, featuring three fours and two sixes. Contributions also came from Yosodha Lanka with 23 runs, Lahiru Udara with 35, Nuwanindu Fernando with 19, and Sahan Archige, who added 30 runs. Bangladesh's pace bowlers, Ripon Mondol and Rezwan Rahman Raja, took two wickets each, while Mahfuzur Rahman Rabbi and Saif Hasan claimed one wicket each.
