Lions on top in spite Malinda and Dilruwan bowling show
The left and right arm spin combination of Malinda Pushpakumara and Dilruwan Perera shared five wickets to put Sri Lanka ‘A’ back into the game against the England Lions when play ended on day two in the 1st unofficial Test match played at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
England Lions having made a formidable score of 316 bowled out Sri Lanka for 167.
A brief shower put a stoppage to the proceedings in the second session when the visitors were on 24 for 2. But when they came back into the crease, apart from skipper Keaton Jennings the others failed to make any impression. Lions were struggling with their top five batsmen back in the pavilion with just 80 runs.
Then Curran brothers, Sam and Tom denied the Sri Lanka ‘A’ any further success with an unbroken 27 runs stand for the seventh wicket to end day two on 112 for 6 with an overall lead of 261 runs.
Earlier in the day the England Lions bowling trio comprising of right arm pacies Toby Roland-Jones and Tom Curran along with right arm spinner Ollie Rayner ran through the Sri Lanka A batting.
Only overnight batsman Sandun Weerakkody who made a dogged 68 in 73 balls that included ten boundaries made any impression.
| England Lions 316 (Tom Westley 97, Toby Roland-Jones 82, Liam Livingstone 59, Keaton Jennings 23: Malinda Pushpakumara 4 for 97, Asitha Fernando 2 for 31) and 112 for 6 (Keaton Jennings 37, Liam Livingstone 16, Tom Westley 15: Malinda Pushpakumara 3 for 28, Dilruwan Perera 2 for 42) Sri Lanka A (29/4 overnight) 167 (Sandun Weerakkody 68, Dilruwan Perera 37, Malinda Pushpakumara 26: Toby Roland-Jones 4 for 51, Ollie Rayner 3 for 27) |