Sri Lanka ‘A’ complete domination of Afghanistan ‘A’ with innings victory

 The Sri Lanka ‘A’ team that won the one-off unofficial test and the five-match unofficial ODI series 3-2

Sri Lanka ‘A’ Vice-Captain Nuwanidu Fernando for winning the 5-match unofficial ODI series 3-2

Match Referee Manoj Mendis presents the trophy to Sri Lanka ‘A’ Captain Pasindu Sooriyabandara for winning the unofficial one-off test

Nisala Tharaka destroyer of the Afghanistan ‘A’ second innings with 6 for 42

• Wins unofficial ODI series 3-2 and one-off 4-day unofficial test  

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka ‘A’ completed their domination of Afghanistan ‘A’ by winning the one-off 4-day unofficial test by an innings and 26 runs by lunch on the fourth and final day at the P Sara Oval yesterday.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ also won the five-match unofficial ODI series against the visitors by a 3-2 margin.

Afghanistan ‘A’ forced to follow-on after being dismissed for 193 in reply to Sri Lanka ‘A’s first innings of 435, began the final day on 108-2, and needing to score a further 129 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

However things didn’t go in their favour as they were bowled out a second time for 211, handing the home team a convincing innings win.

Right-arm medium-fast bowler Nisala Tharaka was the chief destroyer of the Afghanistan ‘A’ innings taking six wickets for 41 off 11.3 overs after spinners Wanuja Sahan and Nishan Peiris had wrecked their first innings taking eight wickets between them. Tharaka using reverse swing with great effect got the vital breakthrough for Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the fourth ball of the morning by bowling Afghanistan ‘A’s main run scorer Imran Mir for 53 and followed it up with the wicket of Rahmanullah 14 runs later by trapping him in front of the wicket for eight. Those two early setbacks pushed Afghanistan ‘A’ onto the back foot and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals with only Ijaz Ahmed standing firm at one end offering stubborn resistance with a 100-ball 54 (7 fours, 1 six). Naveed Zadran hit a breezy 34 off 22 balls (5 fours) and helped Ijaz raise 41 for the seventh wicket. But after Peiris had drawn Ijaz out and had him stumped by Vishad Randika, Gamage returned to wrap up the innings with the last four wickets tumbling for 18 runs.

Scores: 

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 435;

Afghanistan ‘A’ 198 and 211 (o/n 108-2) (Ihsanullah Janat 27, Imran Mir 53, Ijaz Ahmed 54, Naveed Zadran 34, Nisala Tharaka 6/42, Nishan Peiris 2/63)