Shaheens, Sri Lanka ‘A’ four-dayer poised for exciting finish
RAWALPINDI: Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Pakistan Shaheens’ first four-day match was heading for an exciting finish after the visitors secured an overall lead of 221 runs with one second innings wicket remaining at stumps on the penultimate day here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Trailing by 143 runs on the first innings and starting the day at 77-1, Sri Lanka ‘A’ were 364-9 at the draw of stumps.
After dismissing the visitors for 115 on the first day, Shaheens had replied with 258 on day two.
Five half-centuries and two century partnerships brought Sri Lanka ‘A’ back in the matchwhile Test fast bowler Khurram Shahzad and Kashif Ali tried to keep the visitors in check by sharing six wickets between them.
Tailender Wanuja Sahan with 73 and Sonal Dinusha, batting on 62, pulled Sri Lanka ‘A’ from trouble by adding 130 runs for the eighth wicket after the tourists had slipped from 213-3 to 226-7 to lead by 83 runs.
The partnership ended when Sahan fell to Mohammad Suleman after a 99-ball innings that included seven fours and a six. Suleman also picked up the last wicket to fall on the day to finish with figures of 2-21.
Dinusha will resume his innings on Thursday morning at 62 that has come from 125 balls and includes six fours. With him will be last-man Vishwa Fernando, who is yet to get off the mark.
The other century partnership was for the fourth wicket when Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Pavan Rathnayake put on 126 runs to lift the side from 87-3 to 213-4.
Sooriyabandara scored a 95-ball 64 with seven fours, while Rathnayake scored 60 from 69 balls with six fours and two sixes. Ahan Wickramasinghe was the other Sri Lanka ‘A’ batter to cross the 50-run mark, scoring 53 from 95 balls and five fours.
For Shaheens, Khurram followed up his first innings figures of 4-32 with 4-70, while Kashif bagged 2-79 for match figures of 7-110. Mohammad Rameez Jr picked up the scalp of Rathnayake to end the fourth-wicket partnership.
Scores in brief:
Sri Lanka ‘A’ 115 in 33.1 overs (Sonal Dinusha 30, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 28; Kashif Ali 5-31, Khurram Shahzad 4-32) and 364-9 in 96 overs (Wanuja Sahan 73, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 64; Khurram Shahzad 4-70, Mohammad Suleman 2-21); PAKISTAN SHAHEENS 258 in 82.1 overs (Hussain Talat 56, Rohail Nazir 55; Vishwa Fernando 4-44, Isitha Wijesundara 2-49).
Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024
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