Sri Lanka Beat Bangladesh by 63 Runs for Asian Games Cricket Bronze Medal

Sri Lanka took the Asian Games cricket bronze medal on Saturday, beating Bangladesh by 63 runs at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin. Tharindu Ratnayake made 65 from 32 balls. He then took two wickets. Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 in 17.3 overs and leave Japan without a cricket medal.

Both sides arrived at the play-off beaten. Sri Lanka had lost their semi-final to India by 124 runs two days earlier. Bangladesh had lost theirs to Pakistan by six wickets with nine balls to spare. The gold medal match between India and Pakistan was set for later the same day.

Ratnayake turns the innings

Sri Lanka's start was bad. The Sunday Guardian's scorecard has them 21 for 4 inside four overs. Ratnayake came in and hit seven fours and five sixes. He was out for 65 off 32 deliveries, a strike rate above 200. Captain Sahan Arachchige held the other end, making 33 from 37 balls.

The innings closed on 165 for 9 at 8.25 an over. By the same scorecard, extras added 22 and Ashen Bandara made 18. Nobody else reached 20. A total built off one hand is fragile, and this one still proved far too many.

Bangladesh fold for 102

The chase never got going. Nasum Ahmed top-scored with 26 from 28 balls and no other Bangladesh batter passed him. The Sunday Guardian lists Yasir Ali on 21 and Parvez Hossain Emon on 20. Bangladesh were all out inside 18 overs, 63 short.

Nuwan Thushara and Ratnayake took two wickets each. Arachchige bowled his off-spin for 1 for 9. The Sunday Guardian also credits Wanuja Sahan with two wickets. Crickettimes reported Mahedi Hasan as Bangladesh's best bowler, with 2 for 19 from four overs.

The knockout round in full

Four teams reached the semi-finals in Nisshin, after a quarter-final round broken up by rain. The medal matches fell out like this.

• First semi-final, 1 October: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by six wickets, nine balls remaining
• Second semi-final, 1 October: India beat Sri Lanka by 124 runs
• Bronze medal play-off, 3 October: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 63 runs
• Gold medal match, 3 October: India v Pakistan, Korogi Sports Park

From Nisshin to Pakistan

For part of this side the tournament ends and the next job starts at once. Sri Lanka Cricket named its T20I squad for the tour of Pakistan on Friday. Arachchige is in it, uncapped in the format. The ICC reported that Sineth Jayawardena and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth were also in Japan for this match.

That squad flies out on 4 October. The first of three T20Is in Rawalpindi follows on 9 October. So Arachchige captained at a multi-sport Games on Saturday and reports as a squad member within a week. Ratnayake, who won this match, is not among the 15 Sri Lanka Cricket named.

Bangladesh finish fourth in Nisshin. Their Asian Games is over.