Malinda and Kaushal lead SL Emerging’s fightback
Skipper Kaushal Silva was unbeaten on 86 - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Left arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara wrecked the second innings of the South Africa Emerging Players XI’s batting as he led the fight back for the Sri Lanka Emerging Team to make a comeback with a vengeance in the first two sessions of play on day three of the first unofficial Test match played at the Chilaw Marians ground in Katunayake.
Later midway in the second session Sri Lanka Emerging Team being set a target of 310 runs for victory saw skipper Kaushal Silva guiding the side as he remained unbeaten on 86 with ten boundaries. The Lankans ended the day on 157 for 3.
Kaushal was involved in three partnerships first a brief 34 runs for the second wicket with Pathum Nissanka followed by 45 runs stand for the third wicket with Charith Asalanka and an unbroken 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Sammu Ashan who was unbeaten on 24.
Malinda had the opposition sides’ batting in tatters and in the process he was unfortunate to miss out on a hat-trick in his seventh over which was the 13th over of the South Africa Emerging Players XI innings.
Malinda Pushpakumara claimed a match-bag of 12 scalps
The visiting team underwent the same fate as their senior team who crumbled to the spinners in their 2-0 Test match series defeat last week. Supporting Malinda was another spinner right armer Kamindu Mendis who both emulated the feat of Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera having opened the bowling attack.
The duo especially Malinda who also ended with a six wicket haul in the first inning was in line for a repeat in the second innings too as the morning session of proceedings was completely dominated by Malinda who ended with four of the five wickets to fall with the other being a run out to have the visitors in dire straits with the score on 99 for 6 at lunch.
The visitors lost their seventh wicket in the first over in the post lunch session with Kamindu Mendis taking his first wicket. They never recovered with Malinda bagging six wickets which followed by Mendis taking the remaining two scalps to bundle them out for a low score of 109.
The South Africa Emerging Players XI lost their remaining four wickets for the addition of only ten runs while Malinda with his second six wicket haul ended with a match bag of 12 for 171 runs.
The first two day’s of proceedings belong to the South Africa Emerging Players XI having taken first lease of the wicket thanks to half tons by skipper Tom de Zorzi, Paul Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton and Eathan Bosch they posted a formidable score of 394 for 9 declared.
Later they put themselves in a strong position despite half tons scored by Chamika Karunaratne and Sammu Ashan they restricted the Sri Lanka Emerging Team for a low score of 194 to end with a 200 runs lead.
However the match is evenly poised but the scales are in favour of the host side as they have seven wickets in hand needing a further 153 runs to make in the three sessions of play left to achieve it.
Scores
- South Africa Emerging Players XI 394 for 9 declared (Tom de Zorgi 77, Paul Breetzke 73, Ryan Rickelton 63, Alvin Dithole 43, Eathan Bosch 55, Kagiso Rapulana 38, Junaid Dawood 31 n.o.: Malinda Pushpakumara 6 for 126) and (10 for 1 overnight) 109 (Alvin Dithole 34, R van Tonder 19, Tom de Zorzi 16, Onke Niyaku 16: Malinda Pushpakumara 6 for 45, Kamindu Mendis 3 for 46)
- Sri Lanka Emerging Team 194 (Chamika Karunaratne 61, Sammu Ashan 51, Charith Asalanka 18, Malinda Pushpakumara 17, Pathum Nissanka 16: Junaid Dawood 2 for 23, Eathan Bosch 2 for 28, Lutho Sipmala 2 for 32, Onke Niyaku 2 for 41, Nandre Burger 2 for 42) and 157 for 3 (Charith Asalanka 20, Kaushal Silva 86 n.o., Sammu Ashan 24 n.o.)