An inevitable draw at Pallekele

by Sajeewa Jayakody

Udara Jayasundara (92) and Madhawa Warnapura (80) hit two half centuries in Sri Lanka ‘A’s second inn ings total of 206-3 as the second four-day game against Pakistan ‘A’ ended in a draw at Pallekele yesterday.

Left handed Jayasundara who was cruising well was clean bowled for 92 runs and skipper Priyanjan was unbeaten for 24 at close.

Earlier, the two half century makers Jayasundara and Warnapura added 154 runs for the second wicket which was the main feature in the home teams second innings..

After Sri Lanka ‘A’ lost the first wicket cheaply at 3, Udara Jayasundara and Madhawa Warnapura steadied the innings with some sensible batting. Both Warnapura and Jayasundera were reprieved once, but later steadied the innings batting resolutely.

Jayasundara top edged one to deep-mid wicket and was let off at 14 off Mir Hamza. A few overs later Warnapura edged one to second slip and was dropped at 25..

After a disappointing first two outings, Warnapura made an elegant half century. The right hander reached his fifty with a classic square cut between cover and point..

Resuming from the overnight score of 287-5, Pakistan ‘A’ lost their last five wickets for 46 runs.Opening bowlers Lahiru Gamage and Dushmantha Chameera bowled with venom with nasty bouncers against the visitors’ tail- enders batting with wicket-keeper batsman Adnan Akmal.. Usman Salahuddin, unbeaten on 86 overnight, was the first to go in the morning session without adding any runs when he was trapped lbw to Gamage. Gamage had the wickets of Zafar Gohar and Tabish Khan caught at slips. After three quick wickets, Akmal did not look for the singles but opted for boundaries. The tourists surpassed the home team’s first innings total 327 when Akmal struck a boundary to mid-wicket.

Tharindu Kaushal, who took a six-wicket haul in the first game in Colombo, finished the Pakistan ‘A’ innings at 333 taking the scalp of Akmal for 47.