DSS duo guide Lankans to impressive series win
D.S. Senanayake MV duo Kaveen Bandara and Akeel Inham scored impressive half centuries and guided the Lankan teenagers to a huge 8-wicket win over their Australian counterparts in the final tie of wits at the SSC Grounds yesterday.
Bandara scored 86 and Akeel remained unbeaten on 83 when the Lankan youths scored 206 for 2 in reply the target of 203 all out set by Australia.
Aussie batsman Izaac Boylan is clean bowled by Sammu Ashan - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Sri Lanka lost opener Rashmika Opatha who made his debut for 14 when their score was on 34. That was the only occasion that the Australians could really celebrate. Then, Bandara and Akeel put on a 147 runs for the second wicket in 29 overs to put the Lankans on course for the series win. Bandara in his 110 ball stay at the crease hit ten fours while Akeel hit a six and eleven fours facing only 89 balls.
The Sri Lanka Under 19 team won the series 3-1.
For the Australians off spinner Sam Grimwade was the only successful bowler to finish with figures of 2 for 53 off his completed ten overs.
Earlier the Sri Lanka U19’s right and left arm spin combination of Sammu Ashan and Damitha Silva shared five wickets and helped the Lankans restrict the Australia U19’s to a score of 203.
Australian U19 skipper Patrick McKenna on winning the toss elected to take first lease of the wicket in the morning session of play.
The visitors got off to an inauspicious start as they lost their first wicket with just four runs on the board that of Matthew Renshaw. Sri Lanka began their attack with a pace and spin combination of skipper Chamika Karunaratne and Pathum Madusanka.The duo made the Australians struggle for their runs and before the completion of the first ten overs. At that point they were badly placed on 29 for 3 which included the prize wicket of Liam Banthorpe who made a top score of 61 in the previous match which the Aussies won.
Four overs later they lost another wicket that of Sam Harper who edged a catch to wicket keeper Thiran Dhanapala off a delivery of Aravinda Akurugoda and were perilously placed on 41 for 4 in the 14th over.
They made a recovery through a valuable partnership for the fifth wicket between skipper McKenna and Kyle Scrimegour who added 61 runs before they were separated. With the dismissal of McKenna who made a 37 that comprised two boundaries and a six Australia score read 92 for 5 at the halfway stage of the innings.
Scrimegour joined by Tom Healy put on a brief stand of 24 runs for the sixth wicket and with the score on 116 they underwent a double blow as spinner Damitha Silva dispatched the duo back to the pavilion.
Right hand batsmen Jonte Pattison and Izaac Boylan scripted the second recovery for the struggling Australians as the pair frustrated the Sri Lanka bowlers for a considerable period.
They added a valuable 67 runs for the eighth wicket before Ashan separated them with the wicket of Boylan who contributed an almost run a ball knock of 37.
Number nine batsman Matthew Kuhnemann who followed did not last as he became another victim of Ashan. Pattision was dismissed last having made a dogged innings of 40 in 52 balls with Australia’s score on 203.
| Scoreboard Australia U19s |