Baker bowls Under-19s to victory

FATULLAH: Sri Lanka’s top order let their side down to fall 19 runs short of a modest target set by West Indies in the Super League match at the Fatullah District Stadium. SCORES: West Indies 200 for 7 (Ramdin 51) beat Sri Lanka 181 (Kulasekera 64, Baker 6-39) by 19 runs. Sri Lanka won the toss and put West Indies in. Accurate bowling restricted progress and it wasn’t until the 29th over that they reached the 100 mark.

Despite having wickets in hand, West Indies were unable to up the tempo in the closing overs, and finished on 200 for seven after 50 overs. Captain Denesh Ramdin top-scored with 51. Sri Lanka’s top order have struggled for runs in this tournament — and yesterday was no exception. The first four batsmen were back in the pavilion for 21 as fast bowler Lionel Baker’s extra pace and bounce created chaos. Chamith Kulasekara and Suraj Mohammad rallied to take Sri Lanka to 164 for seven with four overs remaining. But then Baker returned to dismiss Kulasekara for 64 and Mohammad for 37, to swing the match decisively back in West Indies’ favour.

Baker fittingly picked up the final wicket in the last over of the match to finish with figures of six for 39 as Sri Lanka were all out for 181. Baker, the “Man of the Match”, was pleased to find his rhythm with the ball. “It’s a great feeling to win today and it is good to start the Super League in good form,” he said. Meanwhile Sri Lanka’s coach, the former Test legspinner DS de Silva, was critical of his side’s batting display. “If we are going to succeed in this tournament, the top order batsmen must make runs together. At the moment our batting has been failing and today it cost us the match.”

W/CUP SCORECARD
SRI LANKA VS WEST INDIES
West Indies Under-19s Innings
XM Marshall LBW  b Chanaka 12
T Maraj  c Silva  b Suraj 35
LMP Simmons c Silva  b Kulasekara 16
AB Fudadin  b Suraj 37
D Ramdin  c Ratnayake  b Maharoof  51
JC Augustus run out (Kulasekara) 17
M Matthew  run out 1
LA Sebastien  not out 11
BBB Yearwood not out 0
EXTRAS (B 3, LB7, W 8, NB 2) 20
TOTAL  (For 7 wickets — 50 overs) 200
Wkts. at : 27, 63, 80, 119,-165,-172, 199.
BOWLING: Maharoof 10-1-37-1 (W6), Chanaka 10-1-33-1 (W1), Kulasekara  7-1-31-1 (NB1), Suraj 10-0-30-2,
de Zoysa 10-0-40-0 (W1, NB1), Ratnayake 3-0-19-0.
Sri Lanka Under-19s Innings
WU Tharanga  c Fudadin b Baker 7
HE Vithana LBW  b Baker 4
NP Navela LBW b Matthew 4
JK Silva c Marshall b Baker 0
RWMGA Ratnayake  c Marshall  b Bachan 22
MF Maharoof LBW  b Yearwood 14
GT de Silva   run out 1
CKB Kulasekara  c Sebastien b Baker 64
MMM Suraj  c Simmons  b Baker 37
RSR de Zoysa LBW b Baker 7
PUM Chanaka  not out 0
EXTRAS (LB2, W16,NB 3) 21
TOTAL (All out — 49 overs) 181
Wkts. at : 7, 16, 21, 21, 47, 48, 71, 164,  180, 181.
BOWLING: Matthew  9-1-36-1 (W5, NB1), Baker 10-0-39-6 (W5, NB1), Simmons 2-0-7-0, Yearwood 9-0-42-1 (W5, NB1), Bachan 10-1-18-1, Sebastien  8-0-25-0 (W1), Augustus 1-0-12-0 (W2).
RESULT: West Indies won by 19 runs.