Bangladesh U19s take series lead after convincing win in 3rd Sri Lanka YODI

Azizul Tamim's unbeaten half-century and a strong all-round bowling performance powered the Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team to a commanding 39-run victory over Sri Lanka in the third match of their six-game Youth One Day International (YODI) series at the Colts Cricket Club Ground in Colombo on Wednesday.

In a rain-shortened match, Bangladesh posted 144 for 2 in 28 overs. The innings was anchored by Tamim's unbeaten 67 off 84 balls, with valuable support from Rizan Hossain, who contributed an unbeaten 24 off 38 deliveries. Earlier, opener Zawad Abrar set the tone with a brisk 38 off 35 balls before rain halted play.

Chasing a revised target of 160 in 22 overs, Sri Lanka faltered early, losing all of their top five batters for single-digit scores. Despite a late attempt to reduce the margin of defeat, with Kavija Gamage top-scoring with an unbeaten 32, the hosts never recovered from their poor start.

For Bangladesh, pacer Al Fahad and off-spinner Azizul Tamim each claimed two wickets, tightening the screws on the Sri Lankan batting lineup.

Having bounced back strongly with a dominant win in the second match after losing the opener, Bangladesh now lead the series 2-1. The fourth YODI is scheduled for Wednesday at the Colombo Cricket Ground.