Sports Desk : Sri Lanka has secured a spot in the finals of the Hong Kong International Sixes by defeating Bangladesh.
In the second semi-final, they clinched a 3-wicket victory with one ball to spare, setting up a title clash against Pakistan.
In the tournament’s first semi-final, Pakistan triumphed over Australia by 4 wickets to reach the finals as well.
Batting first, Bangladesh scored 103 runs in their allotted 6 overs. Opener Jisan Alam made an explosive 36 runs off just 11 balls, including 5 sixes.
His opening partner, Abdullah Al Mamun, contributed 16 runs from 4 balls. Captain Mohammad Saifuddin scored 23 runs off 12 balls, while Abu Haider Rony added 18 runs off 6 balls.
Chasing a target of 104 runs, Sri Lanka started strong with Sandun Weerakkody scoring 50 runs off just 16 balls before retiring hurt. Dhananjaya Lakshan also made an impact, scoring 24 runs off 6 balls.
In a tense finish, Sri Lanka needed 14 runs from the final over. Fast bowler Abdullah Al Mamun initially conceded only 3 runs from the first two balls, but then gave away a boundary and a six on the next two deliveries, putting Sri Lanka in a strong position.
The match was sealed when Nimesh Bimukthi ran a leg bye for a single on the next ball, confirming Sri Lanka’s victory.