Sri Lanka A gain slender lead over Shaheens

ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka A took a slender lead in the first innings of the four-day match against Pakistan Shaheens and then extended to 180 runs with six wickets in hand when stumps were drawn for the penultimate day at the Pindi Stadium Wednesday.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ were 157-4 in 45.2 overs by close. After Sri Lanka earned a 23-run first innings lead, they slipped to 46-4 in 15 overs as Ahmed Bashir snapped two wickets while Hussain Talat and Kashif Ali picked up one wicket each.

Pavan Rathnayake (64 not out) and Sonal Dinusha (51 not out) stitched an unbeaten 111-run partnership for the fifth wicket off 183 balls to help Sri Lanka ‘A’ recover from the initial setbacks.

Earlier in the day, Shaheens resumed their first innings from the overnight score of 212-5, trailing by 98 runs, before being bowled out for 287 in 98 overs. After Hussain Talat (25) and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (15) fell early, Ahmed Safi Abdullah and Kashif Ali put on a crucial 53-run eighth-wicket stand to erase much of the deficit.

Ahmed Safi hit five fours in his 61-ball 39 before falling to Wanuja Sahan in the 96th over. Sahan picked up his 12th first-class five-wicket haul returning figures of 5-74 in 27 overs.

Scores in brief: Sri Lanka ‘A’ 310 all-out, 79 overs (Sonal Dinusha 85 not out, Wanuja Sahan 63, Isitha Wijesundara 51, Pavan Rathnayake 35, Ahan Wickramsinghe 30, Dinura Kalupahana 30; Khurram Shahzad 6-30, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 2-100) and 157-4, 45.2 overs (Pavan Rathnayake 64 not out, Sonal Dinusha 51 not out; Ahmed Bashir 2-44).

Pakistan Shaheens 287 all out, 98 overs (Abdul Faseeh 59, Mohammad Suleman 40, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 39, Haider Ali 35, Ali Zaryab 32, Hussain Talat 25; Wanuja Sahan 5-74).