Captain Mohammed Riyan’s swashbuckling knock went in vain as the MCC-Zayed Cricket Academy Under-16 team lost by 12 runs to DS Senanayake College in Colombo, on their maiden visit to the island nation.
Riyan smashed 77 off 71 balls and put on 110 runs for the second wicket with Sachin Jha but the middle order failed to see them through.
Jha scored 27 and Yodhin Punja and Pavan Vijaykumar came up with handy knocks of 16 and 17 not out respectively. Leg spinner Aakarsh Krishnakumar, left-arm pacer Jonathan Figy and right-arm quick Punja took two wickets each.
Riyan said: “It was actually good from my point of view. I thought that the team could have pulled the game back. It was a new experience for us.
“I think this is the first time everyone was playing on a matting wicket. I got used to it because it was a bit like county-like turf, but with uneven bounce. I found it easy but not everyone can be the same.
“The conditions were a bit tough because it was really hot and we were fielding first. And later, when we batted, we failed to convert singles into twos and twos into threes.”
Earlier, opting to bat, DS Senanayake College made 189 for the loss of seven wickets in their 40 overs with left-hander Afshan Masoud playing an entertaining innings after his side was in trouble.
The 15-year-old fell three runs short of a well-deserved half-century. Punja gave MCC-Zayed Cricket Academy a dream start by removing the openers Zeenol Jayasena (2) and Sonal Kulasekara (0) to reduce DS Senanayake College to three for two.
Muditha and Chirath then rebuilt the innings with a crucial 57- run stand for the third wicket before the former departed. Chirath and Thithira Witharana then added 33 runs for the fifth wicket.
Masoud and Abinash Kogul then strung together 52 runs for the sixth wicket as DS Senanayake College posted 189.
In reply, MCC-Zayed Cricket Academy lost opener Justin D’Souza early. Riyan and one-down batsman Jha held the innings together and put on 110 runs for the second wicket.
However, after Riyan and Jha were out the innings lost steam. Riyan’s 77 was peppered with 12 boundaries and a six. Jha’s 27 came off 52 balls with two boundaries.
MCC-Zayed Cricket Academy were 146 for four in 33 overs and could have pulled it off but fell agonisingly short.
DS Senanayake College are now in the quarter-finals of the All Island U-15 Cricket Tournament.
