Shaheens-Lanka A match heading for exciting finish

ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka 'A' and Pakistan Shaheens four-day match was poised 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 at the Pindi 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 day one, Shaheens had replied with 258 on day two.

Five half-centuries and two century partnerships brought Sri Lanka ‘A’ right back in the match, while Test fast bowler Khurram Shehzad and Kashif Ali tried to keep the visitors in checking by sharing six wickets between.

No.9 batter 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 the home side 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. No.6 batter 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. No.3 batter 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 Jnr picked up the scalp of Rathnayake to end the fourth wicket partnership.

Scores in brief (day 3 of 4): Sri Lanka ‘A’ 115 all out, 33.1 overs (Sonal Dinusha 30, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 28; Kashif Ali 5-31, Khurram Shahzad 4-32) and 364-9, 96 overs (Wanuja Sahan 73, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 64, Sonal Dinusha 62 not out, Pavan Rathnayake 60, Ahan Wickramasinghe 53, Nipun Dhananjaya 28; Khurram Shahzad 4-70, Mohammad Suleman 2-21, Kashif Ali 2-79). Pakistan Shaheens 258 all out, 82.1 overs (Hussain Talat 56, Rohail Nazir 55, Ali Zaryab 55, Abdul Faseeh 26, Mohammad Suleman 24; Vishwa Fernando 4-44, Isitha Wijesundara 2-49, Nisala Tharaka 2-57).