Sri Lanka ‘A’ win tense match, series

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Left-arm spinner Sajeewa Weerakon grabbed six wickets, and three Sri Lanka-A frontline batsman lashed attacking knocks to propel their side to a tense win over West Indies-A by four wickets with eight balls to spare on the last day of their deciding third and final unofficial four-day cricket “Test” at the Saravanamuttu Stadium yesterday. Given a target of 218 runs to win after Weerakon’s spin had reduced the West Indies reserves to 205 all out in their second innings, the home side achieved the target with a flurry of shots setting up the victory.

Darren Sammy completed a fine allround game for the West Indies with a fighting unbeaten 40 and a three-wicket haul at the end, but Sri Lanka-A completed a 2-1 series after losing the first game by 57 runs in Dambulla, and squaring the series with a win in the second match last week at the Colts Ground by an innings and 16 runs. From an overnight 114 for four, West Indies-A quickly slid to 136 for seven after Weerakoon dislodged overnight batsman Dave Bernard (4) at 126 for five, and without addition to the score, Richard Kelly, without scoring. Ten runs later, Weerakoon also sent back Nikita Miller (6), and although Dave Mohammed spanked a defiant 30 with two fours and one six in a 40-run eighth-wicket stand with Sammy, the West Indies only barely went beyond the 200-mark.

Sammy stroked his 40 off 166 balls with two boundaries while losing tail-enders Dwight Washington (3) and Kenroy Peters (9) as the innings folded. Sammy then returned tidy figures of three for 18 off 4.4 overs in a futile effort to contain the Sri Lanka-A victory chase even though a rain stoppage complicated the home team’s victory bid. Opener Avishka Gunawardene (49) top scored for the Sri Lankans, and robust knocks from Tillakaratne Dilshan, with 40 off 35 balls and captain Russel Arnold, 39 off 34 balls, helped finish the job, the home side ending on 218 for six. The two teams will now meet in a five-match one-day series starting Wednesday.