Sadisha Rajapakse played a superb innings of 76 as Sri Lanka defeated the West Indies by three wickets in their Under-19 World Cup cricket fixture played at Besseterre, St Kitts in the Caribbean yesterday.
Sri Lanka chasing 251 reached the target in 48.2 overs with three wickets in hand to enter the quarter final with an unbeaten record.
Australia, Pakistan, India, South Africa and England have also qualified for the semi finals with Bangladesh, the UAE, Afghanistan and Zimbawe vying for the balance two slots.
Rajapakse, who was promoted as an opener played the anchor role in this match scoring 76 in 115 balls with five boundaries, was named as player of the match.
Rajapakse initially set the course with a 52-run stand for the second wicket with Shevon Daniel who scored 34 in 33 balls with five fours and a six after his opening partner Chamindu Wickramasinghe was out early in the first over making just four runs.
But Daniel’s presence stepped up the tempo for Sri Lanka as the team grew in confidence while chasing a big target.
Any hopes the West Indies had of dismantling the Sri Lankans was thwarted by Anjala Bandara who joined Rajapakse to share in a 78-run match-winning stand for the fourth wicket and settle
