Despite a brave per for mance Enamul Huq Mont and Zahid Razzaque Masum failed to reach the final of the South Asian double-wicket cricket championship held on February 28 in Moratuwa, Shri lanka, according to a message received in Dhaka yesterday.

Moni and Masum, who returned home yesterday, lost to the Shri Lankan Test playing pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Asanka Guruslngha in the semifinals by 22 runs.

The Shri Lankan Blues comprising the Test captain Arjuna Renatunga and former certain Aravind a De Silva won the Championship beating Jayasuriya and Guruslngha tn the final.

However, in the semifinal against the Lankans, Moni had to bat alone since his partner Masum was sidelined with an arm injury

In reply lo 64 runs made by the Lankans. Mont scored 42 in six overs.

Earlier, in the quarterfinals, the Bangladeshi duo eliminated the Indian pair of Subrata Banerjee and Rahul Dravid.

Moni and Masum made .34 and were out just once while the Indians, who were dismissed nine times, scored minus tow runs.

Bangladesh's semifinal cn counter was marked by some fusty hitting from the lefthanded Biman all-rounder Moni

In a letter written lo the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board vice president Ratsuddin Ahmed, the president of the Moratuwa Sports Club, the organisers of the meet, praised the Bangladeshi players and termed their missing the final as "sheer bod luck'

He also hoped that Bangladesh would be able lo play Test cricket soon.

Seven pair* representing four South Asian countries participated in the day long meet.

The Pakistan Blues comprised former Test players Akram Raza and Ijaz Ahmed while the Pakistan Reds featured Manzoor Elahi and Sajjad Akbar.

Apart from Banerjee and Dravid, the two other Indians who played in the doubk wicket tournament were Test players Chetan Sharma and Ajay Jadeja

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Cricket Control Board under-19 squad returns home today after taking part in a Si Ivei Jubilee tournament in Blrganj Nepal.

The Bangladesh youth team lost to the Patna Cricket Association by a solitary run In their very first encounter on February 26.

Batting first. Patna were re slricted to 129 while the BCCB-X1 were all out for 128.