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Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Matara

MATARA, Thursday - It was another day of missed opportunities when none of the Sri Lanka 'A' batsmen were able to convert their half-centuries into a big hundreds on the opening day of the second four-day unofficial cricket Test against Kenya played at the Uyanwatte Stadium here today.

Sri Lanka 'A' winning the toss and batting first on a surface full of runs ended the first day rather disappointingly at 298 for five wickets.

Considering the fact that the pitch was a batting paradise supplemented by a fast outfield, Sri Lanka 'A' batsmen should have easily put the Kenyan bowling to the sword and scored in excess of 300 runs by the end of the day.

But a series of poor judgement and shot making coupled with the Kenyans' persistency to bowl a good line saw both sides end the day with honours rather even.

The batsmen who missed out on hundreds were opener Upekha Fernando, a replacement for the unfit Avishka Gunawardana who made an aggressive 86 off 98 balls and Chamara Silva, who scored 68, while Tillekeratne Dilshan was unbeaten at the close on 78 made in 246 minutes with nine fours. Having missed out on a hundred in the first 'Test' Dilshan seems determined to put the record straight at Matara.

A total of 400 plus looks a good prospect on this pitch which is expected to get dustier by the day making it a virtual spinners paradise if the present hot weather persists. Sri Lanka 'A' knowing what the pitch will turn out to be later in the match, included an additional spinner (Rangana Herath) at the expense of a seamer.

Signs that the wicket was beginning to help the trundlers was evident by the fact that three of the four wickets that fell to the bowlers were claimed by the spinners. The other was a run out which Fernando would have regretted after he played the ball to mid wicket fielder Maurice Odumbe and over a misunderstanding with his partner Michael Vandort, had to turn back, but fell far short of the crease. The dismissal was tragic in the sense that as long as he was at the wicket there wasn't a moment of dullness. The scoreboard was kept ticking all the time as he excelled with lofted drives and cuts to complete a splendid half-century in 93 minutes off 66 balls inclusive of nine fours. He was the dominant partner in an opening stand of 76 with Ian Daniel, who was prepared to play a passive role batting 102 minutes for 14 before chasing a wide ball from leg-spinner Colin Obuya and presenting the bowler with a wicket off his second ball by nicking a catch behind the wicket.

Fernando's innings ended in the fifth over after lunch when he was run out for 86 made in 137 minutes. He hit 14 fours. Immediately afterwards, Vandort at 17 edged a catch to first slip Ravindu Shah off Steve Tikolo, but Dilshan and Silva got together to raise a fourth wicket partnership of 117 in 162 minutes. A feature of their batting was the fine running between the wickets. Dilshan who scored 82 in the first Test, went to his second consecutive fifty of the series in 116 minutes using up 90 balls with the aid of eight fours. Silva took 10 minutes longer for his second successive fifty of the series, facing 88 balls and hitting five fours.

Just as when it looked like the pair would see Sri Lanka 'A' to the close, Silva lost his wicket at 250 more to impetuosity than anything else.

Attempting to hit Obuya through midwicket, he only succeeded in giving a catch to Shah. Silva faced 119 balls and reached the boundary on seven occasions.

Prasanna Jayawardene promoted ahead of skipper Upul Chandana did not last long when at seven he pulled a delivery from medium-pacer Thomas Odoyo to Mohammad Sheikh at backward square leg.

Dilshan joined by Chandana saw through the rest of the day weathering two overs with the second new ball taken after 88 overs. Opener Avishka Gunawardana returned to Colombo after his condition got worse this morning. Affected by a viral infection for the past three days, Gunawardana was forced to sit out the Test giving Upekha Fernando the opportunity to play his first game in the series. The SSC batsman made full use of the chance to make a top score of 86. In the first Test, Gunawardana, Daniel, Vandort, Dilshan and Silva all made half-centuries, but none got beyond 82.

SRI LANKA 'A' 1ST INNINGS

G. I. Daniel c Otieno b Obuya			 14 
U. A. Fernando run out				 86
M. G. Vandort c Shah b Tikolo			 17
T. M. Dilshan not out				 78
L. P. C. Silva c Shah b Obuya			 68
H. A. P. W. Jayawardene c Sheikh b Odoyo	  7
U. D. U. Chandana not out			 14
Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-6, w-1)			 14

TOTAL (5 wkts at close, 90 overs)		298

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-76, 2-116, 3-133, 4-250, 5-272.

TO BAT: M. Pushpakumara, R.K.B. Herath, R.A.P. Nissanka,
P.D.R.L. Perera.

BOWLING: M. Suji 12-2-34-0 (2nb), Odoyo 12-5-30-1,
Ogondo 14-3-30-0 (1w,3nb), O. Suji 2-0-17-0 (1nb),
Sheikh 9-1-43-0, Obuyo 30-4-84-2, 
Odumbe 3-0-20-0, Tikolo 8-1-33-1.

KENYA : K.O. Otieno, R.D. Shah, S.O. Tikolo, 
M.O. Odumbe,H.S. Modi, T.M.Odoyo, M.A. Suji, 
A.O. Suji, C.O. Obuya, M. Sheikh, J.P. Ogondo.

UMPIRES: D.N. Pathirana and L.V. Jayasundera,
Match Referee: J. Woutertsz.

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