Wellalage grabs four for none as Sri Lanka cruise to crushing win

 ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup Warm-up matches  

Sri Lanka Under 19s completed their ICC Under 19 World Cup preparations with a crushing 231-run win as the bowlers led by Dunith Wellalage produced a remarkable display to bowl out Uganda for just 46 runs in Guyana on Wednesday.

The St. Joseph’s College, Darley Road spinner Wellalalge was the pick of the bowlers. He finished with figures of four for none from his three overs as he raced through the Ugandan middle and lower order in the final preparation match ahead of Friday’s match of the tournament proper.

Just one batsman (Brian Asaba) reached double figures for Uganda as they were bowled out in the 22nd over.

Opening bowlers Yasiru Rodrigo and Chamindu Wickramasinghe took two wickets each to rattle the top order cheaply. Uganda were four wickets down for ten runs in the eighth over before Wellalalge came up with his four wicket haul.

Electing to bat first opener Chamindu Wickramasinghe was bowled second ball by Pascal Murungi for a duck. A 96-run partnership between Shevon Daniel (46) and Sadisha Rajapaksa (75 retired not out) got the innings back on track, while Yasiru Rodrigo’s unbeaten 32 (in 34 balls, 2x4s) helped Sri Lanka to 277 for eight from their 50 overs. Sakuna Liyanage hammered a quick fire 23 runs in 16 balls (3x4s, 1x6s).

For his run-a-ball 46 runs Daniel scored three fours and a six, while Rajapaksa’s 75 runs (90 balls) included nine fours.

Sri Lanka Under 19s will meet their Scotland counterparts in the first match of the ICC Under 19 World Cup today. Then they will meet Australia U19s in the second match on January 17. The final group match for Sri Lanka is against the hosts.

Scores:

Sri Lanka U19s

277 for 8 in 50 overs (Shevon Daniel 46, Sadisha Rajapaksa 75rtd. n.o., Dunith Wellalage 16, Pawan Pathiraja 21, Sakuna Liyanage 23, Yasiru Rodrigo 32n.o., Wanuja Kumara 15n.o.;  Pascal Murungi 2/63, Yunusu Sowobi 2/52, Joseph Baguma 2/25) 

Uganda U19s

46 all out in 21.2 overs (Brian Asaba 13; Yasiru Rodrigo 2/06, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 2/05, Dunith Wellalage 4/00)  

In the other matches, the Proteas earned a three-wicket win in Guyana, England beat Papua New Guinea by 281 runs and Ireland registered a seven wicket win over Scotland.

Captain’s knock from Van Heerden sees South Africa past the hosts

In a low-scoring affair in Georgetown, it was South Africa captain and wicket-keeper George Van Heerden who set up a three-wicket win over the West Indies.

Matthew Boast (3-9) and Michael Copeland (2-14) had made early inroads for the South Africans after putting in the West Indies, reducing them to 61 for six.

Home skipper Ackeem Auguste then mounted some resistance, making 52 as he and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett (45) added 63 for the seventh wicket.

After Auguste was caught off the bowling of Andile Simelane, Bowen-Tuckett marshalled the tail before going hit wicket with the Windies being bowled out for 189.

Dewald Brevis hit 50 in reply for South Africa, including a 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket with his captain before falling to Onaje Amory.

McKenny Clarke (3-34) took three quick wickets, but Van Heerden’s unbeaten 61 ensured there were no late nerves for South Africa, who open their campaign against India on Saturday in Group B.

Top order fires England to big win

A 161-run opening partnership set England on their way to a mammoth 281-run win over Papua New Guinea in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.

Ahead of an opening clash with defending champions Bangladesh, England made the most of being put into bat as George Thomas (90) and Jacob Bethell (78) built the perfect platform.

Neither man could make it to three figures, but once they had departed, skipper Tom Prest took up the charge on his way to a 77-ball 91.

Like Thomas and Bethell, he fell short of a century but a quickfire 46 not out from James Sales carried England all the way to 359 for seven in their 50 overs.

That was always going to be out of reach for PNG, with Sales building on his batting with three early wickets on his way to three for 14.

Fateh Singh then picked up two for two including top-scorer Christopher Kilapat for 19 and PNG were eventually bowled out for 78 in 27.4 overs.

McGuire has Scotland in a spin

 Five wickets from Nathan McGuire fired Ireland to a seven-wicket victory over Scotland in Georgetown.

The off-spinner helped reduce Scotland to 138 all out with his 5-33, removing top-scoring duo Tomas Mackintosh (26) and Muhaymen Majeed (24) in the space of three balls.

Muzamil Sherzad chipped in with two for 17 as Scotland struggled after electing to bat.

In reply, an unbeaten half-century from opener David Vincent (51 not out) made it a comfortable chase, despite Oliver Davidson’s three for 27.