Lanka clinch one day series

Blistering knock of 60 by Shehan Jayasuriya:

Dilanka MANNAKKARA

Sri Lanka under 19 led by the prolific scorer Bhanuka Rajapakse crushed hapless English team by nine wickets by scoring 133 runs in just 18 overs to win the third One dayer of the tournament and pocket the series.

The Lankans were off to a flyer when Ramitha Rambukwella played an exciting innings of 38 in just 34 balls with three boundaries and three huge sixes before he became the only one to be dismissed with the total on 84 in the 12th over.

Yashoda Lanka who joined Shehan Jayasuriya, played the supporting role as he ended on 22 off 23 balls with three boundaries whilst Shehan Jayasuriya smashed his way to a blistering knock of 60 in just 53 balls which included five hits to the ropes and four towering sixes to seal the game in favour of the Lankans in the second ball if the 19th over.

The match which was played at Colts grounds yesterday saw the English replacement skipper Adam Ball deciding to take first lease of the wicket after he won the toss in this do or die game for the English to keep the series alive.They batted under gloomy and overcast conditions where there was some assistance to the bowlers.

Opening bat Shehan Jayasuriya opened the bowling for Sri Lanka with his off breaks and quickly grabbed two wickets and left arm seamer Sanita de Mel followed him with another two scalps. The Sri Lankans stamped their class when they sent the first six English batsmen to the pavilion with the total being on 52 in the 20th over of which 20 runs were extras at the time.

Shiv Thakor and Andrew Salter the highest scorer for the English who ended unbeaten on 36 put in a courageous effort to revive the English innings which was crumbling. But the former was bowled for 18 by left arm spinner Amila Aponso to end the partnership for the seventh wicket on 47.

Pacie Lahiru Jayaratne cleaned up the tail as he ended with figures of 3 for 18 while Sanitha de Mel, Shehan Jayasuriya and Amila Aponso picked up two wickets each with Supechala Jayathilake picking up one wicket for the Lankans to bowl the English out for 132.

England under 19 132 all out in 45.2 overs (Andrew Salter 36 n.o., Shiv Thakor 18, Lahiru Jayaratne 3 for 18, Shehan Jayasuriya 2 for 11, Sanitha de Mel 2 for 25, Amila Aponso 2 for 26)

Sri Lanka under 19 133 for 1 in 18.2 overs (Shehan Jayasuriya 60 n.o., Ramitha Rambukwella 38, Yashoda Lanka 22 n.o., Tom Milnes 1 for 23)