U-19s seal series despite three-wicket loss in final one-dayer

Bangladesh U-19 edged out the one-day series against the visiting Afghanistan U-19 side after having won the first three matches on the trot but the Afghan side were able to win the fifth and final one-dayer by three wickets today Sylhet International Cricket Stadium as the series finished 3-2 in the hosts favour.

Buoyed by their 19-run win on Friday, the Afghan side bowled Bangladesh U-19 for just 155 in the fifty-over affair. The Bangladesh openers Mahfijul Islam (11) and Ifthiker Hossain were able to contribute 48 runs for the opening stand but a batting collapse saw them slump to 64 for five as medium pacers Bilal Sami and leggie Izharulhaq Naveed ran through the batting order.

Abdullah Al Mamun's team-high 82-ball 37 saw a little resistance from the hosts but they were not able to play out the full fifty overs, all out for 155 with both Bilal and Izharulhaq bagging three wickets.

Ashikur Zaman bagged three wickets for Bangladesh to create difficulties but the visitors banked on Ishaq Zazai's 79-ball 52 and Ijaj Ahmed's 32 to stabilize their innings before Izharulhaq Naveed's unbeaten 29 off 49 deliveries saw them coast to a three-wicket win and three deliveries to spare.

The lone four-day match will begin from September 22 at Sylhet.