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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Smarting under a 35-run defeat by Kenya, Sri Lanka 'A' are rearing to put the record straight in the second unofficial one-day international at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa today.

"We are definitely going to come back and the boys know what is expected of them," said Sri Lanka 'A' senior coach and manager Roshan Mahanama yesterday.

"We knew that some degree of complacency would creep in after we defeated Kenya 3-0 in the unofficial Test series. It was bad batting that contributed to our defeat and the batsmen will have to take the blame for it," he said.

"We have the talent and it is upto the boys to go out and perform," hes said.

Sri Lanka 'A' have delayed finalising their 11 until the morning of the match as opener Upekha Fernando is suffering from a stiff back. If he fails to pass a fitness test, Gayan Wijekoon will retain his place in the team. Otherwise he will have to make room for middle-order batsman Anushka Polonowita who is expected to play in his place.

That is likely to be the only change in the team that lost in Kurunegala on Wednesday.

Kenyan manager Harilal Shah said that he was much happy at the manner in which his boys recovered from the 'Test' defeat than the victory they achieved.

He said that left-arm medium-pacer Martin Suji who missed out on the first match due to a slight hamstring injury will replace Lameck Onyango in the only change the Kenyan team will undergo.

Kenya's win was set up by the inform batsman Kennedy Otieno who stroked an excellent century.

Shah also confirmed that the last two wickets of the Sri Lanka 'A' innings at Kurunegala (that of Rangana Herath and Pulasthi Gunaratne) were taken by Tony Suji and not Onyango as stated in the newspapers.

The teams: SRI LANKA 'A' (from): Upul Chandana (captain), Avishka Gunawardana, Upekha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Dulip Liyanage, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Rangana Herath, Anushka Polonowita.

KENYA : Maurice Odumbe (captain), Kennedy Otieno, Ravindu Shah, Steve Tikolo, Hitesh Modi, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Tony Suji, Peter Ogondo, Joseph Angora, Martin Suji.,

UMPIRES: Nandasena Pathirana and Gamini Dissanayake, Match Referee: Ashley de Silva.

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