The Lankan batsmen bat and the bowlers bowl
Skipper Angelo Mathews top scored with 51 as Lahiru Thirimanne and Dinesh Chandimal made forties to set up a heavy thrashing on Kent who lost the tourists’ second warm-up game by 128 runs at St. Lawrence ground in Canterbury on Friday.
After losing their first warm-up game against Essex on Duckworth/Lewis last Tuesday, the Sri Lankans played up to their potential to pile up 301 for the loss of seven wickets and returned to tame Kent who were skittle out for 173 with 81 deliveries to spare.
Sri Lanka lost opener Kusal Perera at nine, but the drawback did not stop the tourists from accelerating. T.M. Dilshan hit a brisk 35 off 28 deliveries inclusive of five boundaries while putting on 44 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara.
Sangakkara faced 38 deliveries for his 33 inclusive of four boundaries following his epic knock of 159 in a County Championship Division I game against Sussex. Sangakkara departed at 91 after associating in a 38-run partnership for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene who made 30 off 43 deliveries. Jayawardene hit two boundaries during his knock and partnered Lahiru Thirimanne in adding 36 runs for the fourth wicket.
Thirimanne batting sensibly but was unfortunate to miss a well deserved half century before being stumped at 49. The southpaw middle-order batsman faced 73 deliveries while hitting a boundary while associating in the best partnership for Sri Lanka, 84 runs for the fifth wicket, with Mathews.
Mathews showed greater muscle in an innings full with bottom-handed clubs to the rope as he top scored with a 59-ball 51. He struck the first couple of sixes of the game while hitting five boundaries before spooning a full toss to mid-off. But Chandimal and Thisara Perera skipped along in his track during a rapid 71-run stand from 48 balls. Chandimal remained unbeaten on 47 in just 31 deliveries inclusive of four boundaries and two sixes while Perera faced 22 balls for his quick 29 which included a four and a six.
Besides Robbie Joseph, who conceded 58 runs for his four scalps, James Tredwell, Charley Hartley and Adam Ball picked a wicket each.
Paceman Suranga Lakmal had the Kent batsmen thinking when he reacted quickly to claim two of the top wickets in his first spell of four overs. Opener and skipper Sam Northeast and No 4 batsman Alex Blake played with more resistance after Kent’s sudden collapse. Northeast made 26 off 40 deliveries inclusive of four boundaries.
But Blake got together with middle-order batsmen Sam Billings to give the home team some hope with a useful partnership of 58 runs for the fifth wicket. Blake hit a robust knock of 60 off 65 deliveries, inclusive of seven fours before falling to Nuwan Kulasekera. Despite a fighting effort by Ball, who made 26 off 36 balls inclusive of a four and a six, Kent were bowled out 128 runs short of the target. Lakmal, Perera and Mendis grabbed three wickets each while Kulasekera claimed a wicket as Mathews and Dilshan ended wicketless.
Sri Lankans will play Sussex in their third and final warm-up game at Hove today before officially kicking off the with the only Twenty20 game against England on Tuesday at The Oval.
Sri Lanka 301 for 7 wickets (50) (TM Dilshan 35, Kumar Sangakkara 33, Mahela Jayawardene 30, Lahiru Thirimanne 49, Angelo Mathews 51, Dinesh Chandimal 47n.o, Thisara Perera 29, Robbie Joseph 4/58)
Kent 173 all out (36.3) (Sam Northeast 26, Alex Blake 60, Sam Billings 29, Adam Ball 26, Suranga Lakmal 3/16, Thisara Perera 3/33, Ajantha Mendis 3/55)