Rain washes out final day’s play
Elmo Rodrigopulle - Reporting from ENGLAND
The
game between Sri Lanka and Essex ended in a draw when rain washed out
the final day’s play at the County Ground in Chelmsford, Essex here,
today. When Sri Lanka were struggling at 38 for 3 at lunch, the rains
that have been following the visitors every where they play on this
tour, came down and with no further play possible, the match was called
off.
To recap Essex who had Sri Lanka declaring at 337 for 9 in the first
innings, hit back strongly in their innings after struggling at 24 for
3, to gain a slender 14-run lead being bundled out for 351 in their
first innings.
While Ten Doeschate made a brilliant 163 with 24 fours and a six, it
was Sri Lankan off spinner Suraj Randiv who took centre stage bagging a
hat trick. This was his first hat trick in first class cricket. He
bowled Maurice Chambers for 5 and in the next two deliveries had both
batsmen, Reece Topley and Craddock LBW with top spinners.
With this hat trick and figures of 4 for 76, Randiv will certainly
come into the picture when the selectors sit down to picking the team
for the all important final Test. In the time left before the close on
day two, Sri Lanka lost first innings century maker and contender to
open in the final Test Lahiru Thirimanne to Reece Topley for 6 and were
trailing by 7 runs.
When play began on the final day, the Lankns ran into some fiery pace
bowling by Left armer Topley and right armer Chambers and were badly
placed at 10 for 3 and were still trailing by 4 runs. Batsmen dismissed
were Tharanga Paranavitana for 1 LBW to Chambers and Dinesh Chandimal
fell to Topley for 1.
Kumar Sangakkara who was not out overnight and Thilan Samaraweera
stalled the Essex pacemen and took them without further los to lunch at
38 for with Sangakkara not out 19 and Samaraweera batting on 11.Topley
had 2 for 11 and Chambers 1 for 27. Chelmsford, Essex, Sunday
SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS:
T Paranavithana lbw b Chambers 1
L Thirimanne c Foakes b Topley 6
K Sangakkara not out 19
D Chandimal c ten Doeschate b Topley 1
T Samaraweera not out 11
EXTRAS: 0
TOTAL (3 wickts, 15 overs) 38
DID NOT BAT: P Jayawardena, T Perera, S Randiv, A Mendis, D Fernando, F Maharoof.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7, 2-7, 3-10.
BOWLING: RJW Topley 8-4-11-2, MA Chambers 7-1-27-1. |
