Kithruwan 157 not out:

Sri Lanka end day one on 398/9

Priyan de Silva Matara Sports Correspondent

An unbeaten 157 runs in an equal number of balls by Kithruwan Withanage with 17 boundaries and two sixers was the highlight of a mammoth score of 398/9 at stumps by the Sri Lanka Development Emerging Squad at end of day at Uyanwatta stadium in Matara.

Angelo perera skipper of the Sri Lanka Emerging Development Squad won the toss and elected to bat in the three day warm up game against the touringBangladesh national team at the.The absence of big names failed to draw crowds as expected and it was less than 300 spectators who spent part of their Sunday to watch the game.

SLC’s chairman Upali Dharmadasa said that although SLC did up the grounds the turn out was less than expected.All school fixtures which were to be held at this venue in the past month had to be shifted to Sooriyawewa and the Surrey cricket ground in Maggona to permit SLC and the Matara District Cricket Association to prepare the wickets.

The named teams for yesterdays game were

Sri Lanka Development Emerging Squad

Angelo Perera (Captain), Udara Jayasundera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dikwella, Kithruwan Withanage, Ashan Priyanjana, Ashen Silva, Ishan Jayarathna,

Lahiru Gamage, Dulanjana Mendis,Kasun Madhusanka and Chaturanga de Silva (12th man)

Bangladesh team

Mushfiqur Rahim (Captain), Mohamed Ashraful, Jahrul Islam, Mahamadullah, Nasir Hussain, Mominal Haque, Showag Gazli, Mohamed Ellias, Rubel Hussain, Abul Hasan and Masshal Ayub (12th man)

The umpires for the game were Sena Nandeweera, Raveendra Kottachchi, Linden Hannibal (3rd umpire) and Nalliah Devarajan as match refree.

Sunil Mohotti secretary of the MDCA made sure that the local media personnel were not permitted to use the buffet facility which was available next to the press box and handed out low quality packeted food instead. probably to show his displeasure atour highlighting the disruption of the school cricket fixtures due to this game being payed at Uyanwatta.

Sri Lanka Emerging Development Squad 398/9 in 89.5 overs