Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team missed the opportunity to seal the series as they suffered a 27-run defeat against hosts Sri Lanka in the fifth ODI of the six-match youth series. With the victory, Sri Lanka managed to stay alive in the series, which now stands at 3-2 in favor of Bangladesh ahead of the final match.

The fifth game was played at the Singhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, where Sri Lanka U-19 captain Vimuth Dinsara won the toss and opted to bat first. The Lankan side made three changes to their playing XI, handing debuts to several young players, including wicketkeeper-batter Adham Hilmy. Hilmy made an immediate impact on his debut, scoring a team-high 51 runs. Skipper Dinsara also contributed with a well-paced 42.

For Bangladesh, promising bowler Al Fahad was rested, making way for debutant Sad Islam, who impressed with two wickets on his maiden appearance. Rizon Hossain and Farhan Shahriar also picked up two wickets each, while Samiun Bashir Ratul was the most successful bowler with three wickets. Despite these efforts, Sri Lanka managed to post a total of 196 runs before being bowled out in 42.3 overs.

Chasing a modest target, Bangladesh got off to a poor start with their top order collapsing early in the innings. Within the first few overs and even before the end of the powerplay, the team lost its first three wickets for just 17 runs. The batting lineup, which had shown resilience in the previous matches, failed to deliver this time. Rizon Hossain, who had been the top scorer in the previous game, was dismissed after scoring 25 runs, with the team total at 51.

Bangladesh's middle-order batter Kalam Siddique Alin struggled again and managed to score only 1 run. Jawad and captain Tamim added 7 and 4 runs respectively. With the team reeling at 105 for 6, Samiun Bashir Ratul tried to anchor the innings alongside Farid Hasan. The pair built a 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket, giving Bangladesh a glimmer of hope. Ratul was eventually bowled out after a quick 37 off 26 balls.

Mohammad Abdullah contributed 32 runs while Debashish Deba added 24, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Once Ratul was dismissed, Bangladesh lost two more wickets for the addition of just one run. The final blow came when Sad Islam was run out while attempting a quick single on the last ball of the over, ending Bangladesh’s innings at 169 runs. Farid Hasan remained unbeaten on 30.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, with Viran Chamuditha and Kugathas Mathulan taking three wickets each. The tight bowling and sharp fielding from the Lankan side ensured that Bangladesh could not reach the target, forcing the series into a final decider.

The two teams will now face off in the sixth and final ODI on Thursday, which will determine the winner of the youth series. Both sides will be aiming to bring their best game to what promises to be a competitive and high-stakes finale.