Sri Lanka A bounced back from their opening loss with a convincing 7-wicket victory over Hong Kong in Match 7 of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 at West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on November 17, 2025. After choosing to bowl first, Sri Lanka A restricted Hong Kong to just 117/9 in 20 overs, then chased down the target comfortably in 13.5 overs with 37 balls remaining. Off-spinner Traveen Mathew was named Player of the Match for his excellent bowling figures of 3/21, which broke the back of Hong Kong’s innings early in the powerplay.
Match Scorecard
| Team | Score | Overs | Wickets | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 117/9 | 20.0 | 9 | Lost by 7 wickets |
| Sri Lanka A | 120/3 | 13.5 | 3 | Won by 7 wickets |
Match Details:
- Venue: West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha, Qatar
- Toss: Sri Lanka A won and elected to bowl first
- Player of the Match: Traveen Mathew (Sri Lanka A) – 3/21
Top Performers
| Player | Team | Role | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traveen Mathew | Sri Lanka A | Bowler | 3 wickets for 21 runs in 4 overs |
| Nuwanidu Fernando | Sri Lanka A | Batsman | 47* runs off 27 balls (174.07 SR) |
| Nishan Madushka | Sri Lanka A | Batsman | 35 runs off 28 balls (125.00 SR) |
| Shiv Mathur | Hong Kong | Batsman | 26 runs off 23 balls (113.04 SR) |
| Dunith Wellalage | Sri Lanka A | Bowler | 2 wickets for 24 runs in 3 overs |
Sources: ESPNcricinfo Full Scorecard
Key Moments
- Early Collapse: Hong Kong lost two wickets for just 11 runs in the powerplay, with Traveen Mathew dismissing Zeeshan Ali (8) and Babar Hayat (0) in back-to-back deliveries in the third over.
- Third Wicket Falls: Milan Rathnayake removed Nizakat Khan for a duck at 12/3 in the fourth over, leaving Hong Kong in deep trouble.
- Brief Recovery: Anshy Rath (21) and Shiv Mathur (26) tried to rebuild, but Dunith Wellalage and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth picked up regular wickets to keep Hong Kong under pressure.
- Low Total: Hong Kong finished with 117/9, with only Ehsan Khan (17*) and Yasim Murtaza (20) providing some resistance in the lower order.
- Solid Start: Sri Lanka A lost Vishen Halambage early (4) but recovered quickly through Nishan Madushka’s steady batting.
- Crucial Partnership: Madushka and Nuwanidu Fernando built an important partnership before Madushka fell for 35 at 87/3.
- Finishing Touch: Fernando (47*) and Sahan Arachchige (14*) guided Sri Lanka A home with an unbeaten 33-run partnership, sealing victory with more than six overs to spare.
Match Analysis
Hong Kong’s batting never got going after losing three wickets inside the first four overs. Traveen Mathew set the tone with his off-spin bowling, striking twice in his first spell to put Hong Kong on the back foot immediately. The 21-year-old bowler from Kandy picked up three crucial wickets while maintaining an economy rate of just 5.25 runs per over.
Hong Kong’s middle order tried to fight back, with Shiv Mathur playing an aggressive knock of 26 runs that included three fours and a six. However, regular wickets prevented any substantial partnerships from forming. Captain Yasim Murtaza scored 20, but his dismissal in the 17th over ended Hong Kong’s hopes of reaching a competitive total.
Sri Lanka A’s chase started with a minor hiccup when Vishen Halambage gave a return catch to Yasim Murtaza in the first over. But opening batsman Nishan Madushka played sensibly, scoring 35 runs and building partnerships to keep the run rate healthy. When he fell at 87/3 in the 11th over, Nuwanidu Fernando took charge.
Fernando played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 47 runs off just 27 balls, hitting seven boundaries and maintaining a strike rate of 174. His aggressive batting, combined with Sahan Arachchige’s support (14* off 13 balls), ensured Sri Lanka A won comfortably without taking risks.
What’s Next
This victory keeps Sri Lanka A’s hopes alive in Group A of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025. Both teams entered this match after losses in their opening games – Sri Lanka A had lost narrowly to Afghanistan A by three wickets, while Hong Kong was crushed by Bangladesh A by eight wickets.
Sri Lanka A will next face Afghanistan A on November 19, while Hong Kong will look to bounce back against Bangladesh A in their remaining group matches. With two losses now, Hong Kong faces an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages, while Sri Lanka A has given themselves a fighting chance with this commanding performance.
The tournament continues with defending champions Afghanistan A taking on Bangladesh A later today in Match 8, another crucial Group A encounter that will shape the standings.