Dubai: Ansh Tandon, the UAE’s 17-year-old rising star, cracked an unbeaten century in vain against Sri Lanka in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup as his team lost by 52 runs at the FTZ Sports Complex ground in Katunayake in Sri Lanka.

Chasing the host team’s total of 326 for 8 in 50 overs, the UAE chased valiantly against the formidable attack from a Test playing nation, to post 274 for nine in the 50 overs mainly through Tandon’s unbeaten 100 off 102 balls with eight boundaries and six. A fighting 121-run partnership between Tandon and consistent Osama Hassan (55) for the fifth wicket even gave UAE hopes of a victory. It was Hassan’s second consecutive half century after having scored 58 in UAE’s opening match against Bangladesh.

UAE’s Alishan Sharafu chipped in with 36 after opener Syed Haider hit 27 runs and one-drop wicketkeeper batsman Vriitya Aravind scored 26 runs.

Sri Lanka’s score of 326 for eight was made up of three half-centuries from Navod Paranavithana (61), Ahan Wickramasinghe (73) and Nipun Perera (60). UAE’s off-spinner Rishabh Mukherjee took three wickets for 65 runs.