Sri Lanka Under-19 recover to post 248

Rex Clementine
in Worcester

After a mini top order collapse, Sri Lanka Under-19 did well to post 248 for eight in their 50 overs in the first one-dayer against England Under-19 in Worcester yesterday. After being put into bat, the openers did well to add 45 runs for the first wicket but Fateh Singh ran through the top order claiming the first three wickets to fall.

Singh, a left-arm spinner dismissed openers Hasitha Amarasinghe and Abishek Liyanaarachchi before trapping the team’s best player Ranuda Somaratne leg before wicket for four.

From 74 for three, Sri Lanka recovered as captain Raveen de Silva and Shevon Daniel added 50 runs for the fourth wicket.

Shevon Daniel top scored with 54 runs in 64 deliveries with five fours and one six and was looking good to post a big score when Thomas Aspinwall bowled him.

Daniel is Sri Lanka’s most experienced batter and it was a solid knock from him. He had also posted a big hundred in the second Test and it need a special ball to dismiss him. Conditions were overcast in Worcester and Aspinwall made best use of it.

Aspinwall from Lancashire had bowled well in the first Test in Chelmsford as well troubling the batsmen with his pace. His nine overs cost only 24 runs and included two maidens. He was expected to bowl the last over of the innings but rain restricted the game to 48 overs per side.

Sri Lanka’s lower order flourished enabling them to reach a competitive total. While Malsha Tharupathi excelled with 37 off 39 deliveries with five fours and one six, wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara made 44 off 62 balls with two fours. His promising innings too was ended by Aspinwall.

Sri Lanka are not fielding their full strength due to the fact that they wanted to give exposure to all the 18 players who have come on tour.

They had won the first Test by three wickets in Chelmsford and almost pulled off the second game in Derby. The second one-dayer will also take place in Worcester with the teams moving to Leicester for the final game.