Sri Lanka 'A' lead by 262 runs

CHRIS Dhambarage reporting from Kandy

SRI LANKA 'A' built up a good overall lead of 262 runs at the end of the third days play in the first 4-day unofficial test match against the touring New Zealand 'A' team continued at the Asgiriya Stadium yesterday.

The Lankans after taking a first innings lead of 51 runs finished their second innings at 211 for 9 despite a fine spell of bowling from Bruce Martin.

The Sri Lanka 'A' batsmen again put up a disappointing performance as they lost wickets at regular intervals. The only significant contribution came from the bat of Thilina Kandambi who hit a top score of 49.

Kandamby came into bat at a critical stage when his team was in a spot of trouble having lost the top four batsmen for only 80 runs.

Wicket keeper batsman Prasanna Jayawardena joined Kandamby and the pair figured in a good rescue act while putting on 65 useful runs for the fifth wicket. Kandamby was dismissed with just one run short of his half century having struck six fours and one six from 77 balls.

Prassnna Jayawardena also made a useful 36 while Malinga Bandara and Sajeewa Weerakoon put on 37 runs for the ninth wicket that lifted the Sri Lanka 'A' total beyond the two hundred run mark.

The most successful bowler for New Zealand 'A' was Bruce Martin who captured five wickets for 74 runs. Wicket keeper Garath Hopkings also had a fine day on the field while holding on to six victims behind the stumps.

Earlier New Zealand 'A' were bowled out for 233 runs in their first innings and could add only 41 runs to their overnight total.

Mathew Sinclair added just seven more runs and was dismissed for a superb 117 from 179 balls with sixteen fours. His sixth wicket partnership with Garath Hopkings was worth 105 runs.

SRI LANKA 'A' FIRST INNINGS 284 
NEW ZEALAND 'A' FIRST INNINGS 

C. Cummings c Tharanga b Wijekoon 	2 
M. Papps c Jayawardena b Wijekoon 	12 
J. How c Jayawardena b Wijekoon 	5 
M. Sinclair c Jayaweera b Daniel 	117 
P. Fulton lbw b Jayawardena 		13 
C. Harris lbw b Wijekoon 		15 
G. Hopkings lbw b Zoysa 		26 
P. Wiseman c Vithana b Daniel 		2 
B. Martin not out 			24 
I. O'Brien c Bandara b Wijekoon 	0 
C. Martin c Tharanga b Wijekoon 	16 

Extras (3nb, 1w, 6b) 			16 

TOTAL all out 				233 

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9, 2-21, 3-22, 4-74, 5-97, 
		6-202, 7-202, 8-204, 9-209. 

BOWLING: Zoysa 12-2-34-1, Wijekoon 9-3-34-3, 
	Weerakoon 24.1-10-46-3, Jayaweera 12-3-44-1, 
	Bandara 13-2-51-0, Daniel 6-2-12-2. 

SRI LANKA 'A' 2ND INNINGS 

Avishka Gunawardena st Hopkings b B. Martin 	33 
Ian Daniel c Hopkings b C. Martin 		5 
Upul Tharanga c Hopkings b C. Martin 		6 
Harsha Vithana st Hopkings b B. Martin 		5 
Thilina Kandamby c O'Brien b Harris 		49 
Prasanna Jayawardena c Hopkings b B. Martin 	36 
Gayan Wijekoon b B. Martin 			13 
Malinga Bandara not out 			28 
Nuwan Zoysa lbw b B. Martin 			0 
Sajeewa Weerakoon c Hopkings b C. Martin 	19 
Charith Jayaweera not out 			0 

Extras (8b, 8lb, 1nb) 				17 

TOTAL for 9 wickets 				211 

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-21, 2-33, 3-59, 4-80, 5-145, 6-157, 
		7-170, 8-174, 9-211 
BOWLING: C. Martin 12.4-1-38-3, I. O'Brien 7-2-19-0, 
	P. Wiseman 11-3-37-0, B. Martin 26-9-74-5, C. Harris 10-2-27-1.