Sri Lanka A surges towards victory

Thursday, 17 October 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: Sri Lanka A closed in on victory on day three the second four-day match, at SSC, as they dismissed Development XI for 276, setting themselves 93 to win in the fourth innings. Niroshan Dickwella’s promotion to no. 3 yielded an encouraging and provided Development XI hope of salvaging the match, but scant contributions from elsewhere had them on the brink of defeat by stumps. Sri Lanka A need 74 more runs to close out the match, with both their openers still at the crease.

Sri Lanka A were 146-runs ahead in the first-innings when the day began, and they extended that lead a further 38 runs - largely through Dilruwan Perera’s half-century - before succumbing to the Development XI bowlers. Shaminda Eranga and Tharindu Kaushal took one wicket apiece in the first session, after both had struggled the previous day. Development XI’s openers began with promise, racing to 92 at almost a run-a-ball before Kusal Perera fell to Dilruwan Perera and began a top-order collapse. In the 14 overs that followed, Sri Lanka A lost four more batsmen for 46 runs, before Dickwella came together with Lahiru Thirimanne for the sixth wicket. The pair’s 104-run stand could do little more than prevent complete capitulation however, and when Dickwella offered Ashan Priyanjan a catch, six runs short of his third first-class ton, the remainder of the innings did not take long to unravel. Interestingly for Sri Lanka, however, all four of the wicket-keeper batsmen who have played in the tournament have now made significant scores. Dinesh Chandimal. Kaushal Silva and Kusal Perera have also all struck hundreds during the tournament so far. Sri Lanka A openers Pabasara Waduge and Mahela Udawatte took their team to 19 before stumps, and only rain and a miraculous recovery from Development XI will now prevent their second successive loss. Chief Scores: Sri Lanka A 19 for 0 and 449 (Chandimal 162, de Silva 76, Prasanna 3-67) trail Development XI 265 (Thirimanne 95*, Alvitigala 3-52, Pradeep 3-61) and 276 (Dickwella 94, Jayasuriya 46, Priyanjan 2-20) by 73 runs