Madushka, Shafique 50s highlight drawn game on final day

Half-centuries from openers Nishan Madushka and Abdullah Shafique was the feature of the third and final day of the three day warm-up match between the touring Pakistanis and Sri Lanka Cricket XI that

Nishan Madushka  celebrates scoring a 50

Abdullah Shafique pulls to  leg on his way to 63

ended in a draw at the Colts grounds yesterday.

Madushka who retired with his score on 23 came back to resume it and reach his half-century scoring 57 off 94 balls before edging a catch behind to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed off to give pacie Shaheen Afridi his first wicket.

Sri Lanka Cricket XI who resumed at 278-5 closed their innings at 375-8 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings of 323 with contributions coming from the lower order Chamika Karunaratne (27) and Minod Bhanuka (32*).

Pakistan in their second innings scored 178-2 with Shafique scoring 63 off 111 balls (5 fours, sixes) before retiring. Azhar Ali seized on another opportunity to make some runs scoring 40 to follow his first innings knock of 43.

This is Pakistan’s only warm-up game before they take on Sri Lanka in the first of two Tests at Galle on Saturday.

Scores

nPakistan 323 and 178-2 (Abdullah Shafique 63 retd, Imam-ul-Haq 30, Azhar Ali 40 retd, Sarfraz Ahmed 21*)

nSri Lanka Cricket XI 375-8 decl. (Nishan Madushka 57, Sadeera Samarawickrama 91, Nuwanidu Fernando 78, Sahan Arachchige 28, Chamika Karunaratne 27, Minod Bhanuka 32*, Mohammad Nawaz 2/24)