Pulindu’s efforts in vain as Sri Lanka Under 19s suffer nine wicket defeat  

Back-to-back half centuries by Pulindu Perera and a half century in the second innings by skipper Sineth Jayawardene could not prevent Sri Lanka Under 19s from suffering a huge nine wickets defeat at the hands of Pakistan Under 19s in the only Youth Test of the tour in Karachi.

In reply to the home team’s 433 for nine wickets declared Sri Lanka Under 19s were shot out for 204 and 236 runs in the two innings.

After being forced to follow on, half centuries by Dharmaraja batsman Perera and Royalist Jayawardene and some late order heroics by Vishwa Lahiru and Ruvishan Perera helped Sri Lanka Under 19s avoid an innings defeat.

 Pulindu who batted at the number six position in the first innings, opened batting with Jayawardene in the second essay and put on a valuable first wicket stand of 82 runs. While Perera made 50 runs (62 balls, 8x4s, 2x6s), Jayawardene scored 52 with ten fours. Lahiru and Ruvishan added 36 runs for the last wicket.

In the first innings Perera top scored with 65 runs as he anchored the late order with a 91-ball innings (9x4s).

When Pakistan batted, Ravishan Perera and Vihas Thewmika took two wickets each while Malsha Tharupathi grabbed three wickets.

Scores:

Pakistan U19s

433 for 9 decl. in 121.3 overs (Azan Awais 104, Shahzaib Khan 161, Saad Baig 68; Ravishan Perera 2/44, Vihas Thewmika 2/105, Malsha Tharupathi 3/75) and 9 for one in 1.4 overs

Sri Lanka U19s

204 all out in 67.2 overs (Sineth Jayawardena 38, Pulindu Perera 65, Hiran Jayasundara 22, Malsha Tharupathi 23; Aimal Khan 3/47, Mohammad Ibtisam 3/37, Arafat Minhas 2/31) and 236 all out in 60.2 overs (Pulindu Perera 50, Sineth Jayawardena 52, Ravishan de Silva 24, Vishwa Lahiru 29n.o., Ruvishan Perera 22; Muhammad Ismail 2/18, Naveed Ahmed Khan 2/61, Mohammad Ibtisam 2/20, Ali Asfand 2/54)