Lankan teens square series with impressive win
Sri Lanka Under-17s squared the three-match One Day series with a comprehensive 52-run win against the visiting England Under-17s in the second match played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat but was able to only muster 179 in a game which was curtailed to 43 overs per-side due to overnight rain. England in reply were troubled by the spin squad spearheaded by Thilan Nimesh and were bowled out for 127 runs with 21 deliveries to spare.
At one stage Sri Lanka were placed at 116-7 but a fighting partnership of 54 runs for the eighth wicket by Navindu Nirmal (24) and Damith Silva (19) took them to a respectable total. Tall and lanky paceman Ben Green caused the major damage by claiming six wickets, conceding just 40 runs while Brad Taylor grabbed two scalps. Top order batsmen Charitha Asalanka and Avishka Fernando contributed with 27 runs apiece while Kavindu Mendis chipped in with a fighting 25.
The young Englishmen were not allowed to settle down by the gritty Sri Lankan spinners, spearheaded by left-arm spinner Nimesh who took five wickets. They lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually were bowled out with an agile bunch of fielders who helped Sri Lanka to bounce back with a timely victory. Off-spinner Damith Silva took two wickets while England skipper Haseeb Hameed, Joe Weatherly and Simon Walton braved to counter a tight Sri Lankan spin attack with useful knocks. The two sides will meet in the deciding third One Day game at the same venue tomorrow.
Sri Lanka U-17 179 all out in 41.1 overs (Charitha Asalanka 27, Avishka Fernando 27, Kavindu Mendis 25, Navindu Nirmal 24, Damith Silva 19, Ben Green 6 for 40, Brad Taylor 2 for 30)
England U-17 127 all out in 39.3 overs (Haseeb Hameed 34, Joe Weatherly 23, Simon Walton 25, Thilan Nimesha 5 for 25, Damith Silva 2 for 31, Malinga Amarasinghe 1 for 8, Raven Sayer 1 for 29)
Action from the game - Pic by Amila Gamage