Birthday boy Thewmika runs through Windies batting after Johnson century

Saturday, 9 September 2023 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Birthday boy Vihas Thewmika is applauded by his Sri Lankan team mates after taking six wickets

First 4-day Under-19 Youth test ends in a draw

Jamaican left-hander Jordan Johnson and Thurstan College off-spinner Vihas Thewmika who turned 18 yesterday took the honours on the fourth and final day of the first Under-19 4-day Youth test which ended in a draw at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Johnson’s sturdy knock of 149 ensured that West Indies avoided the follow-on target of 233. They were at one stage not too happily placed at lunch on 215-6 with Johnson having completed his century with a six of spinner Vishwa Lahiru in 137 balls. But Nathan Edward (36) in partnership with Johnson put on a valuable 96 runs for the seventh wicket to pull West Indies out of that calamity.

West Indian Jordan Johnson celebrates his century

Johnson who resumed the day on 54 continued to bat untroubled by the pace and spin of the home side hitting 11 fours and two sixes in his 207-ball innings. He lost his overnight partner Steve Wedderburn in the second over after the first drinks break for a solid 41 off 104 balls (2 fours, 1 six) thus ending a 110-run liaison for the fourth wicket.

Once Thewmika ended Johnson’s lengthy knock at 287 by holding onto a return catch, the rest of the West Indies batting offered little resistance as they folded up for 309, with the last four wickets tumbling for 22. Thewmika ripped through the lower half of the batting to end with excellent figures of 6/78 off 28.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Lahiru who had captured two wickets at the end of the third day picked up another to finish with 3/61 off 24 overs.

Sri Lanka had 40 overs to bat out, but after they reached 122-4 in 25 overs, the match was called off at 4.44 p.m. in mutual consent with the two captains. Ravishan Nethsara, the P. de S. Kularatne Ambalangoda right-hander used that space of time to complete an attractive half-century off 52 balls (8 fours). The second 4-day Under-19 Youth test commences at the same venue on 12 September. – (ST)

Scores: Sri Lanka (Under-19) 432-8 decl. and 122-4 (Ravishan Nethsara 50, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 26*, Dinura Kalupahana 22*)

West Indies (Under-19) 309 (o/n 119-3) (Jordan Johnson 149, Steve Wedderburn 41, Nathan Edward 36, Vishwa Lahiru 3/61, Vihas Thewmika 6/78)