Fernando ton sets up Sri Lanka whitewash

Avishka Fernando

ESPNCricinfo: Avishka Fernando hit his second century in consecutive matches as Sri Lanka’s Under-19s completed a 3-0 whitewash in the Royal London one-day series with a 24-run win in Canterbury.

But England went down fighting, as Surrey wicketkeeper-batsman Ollie Pope hit a defiant 88 from 78 balls with good support from Gloucestershire’s George Hankins and Somerset’s Dom Bess.

Fernando followed the 117 he scored at Chelmsford on Saturday with 138 from 134 balls, sharing an opening partnership of 149 with Dilan Jayalath.

England fought back well later in the Sri Lanka innings, with three wickets for Ben Green and two each for George Panayi and Ben Twohig as the tourists slipped from 256 for one to 300 all out - the last five wickets falling for nine in the space of 17 balls.

England struggled to 66 for 3 in reply but Hankins followed the 98 he made in Chelmsford with a composed 79.

His departure after a stand of 69 with Pope seemed likely to end the chase at 178 for five. But Pope and Bess had other ideas, putting on 80 in eight overs for the seventh wicket to give the Sri Lankans a few jitters.

It took a sharp piece of fielding which was typical of the high standards Sri Lanka have set throughout the series to run out Pope as he tried to complete an ambitious two, and the innings lost momentum after that with Bess left unbeaten on 33 from 22 balls.

Chief SCores: Sri Lanka U-19s 300 (Fernando 138, Jayalath 67, Green 3-59) beat England U-19s 276 (Pope 87, Hankins 79, P de Silva 3-39) by 24 runs