Lankan batting strikes again

Chris Dhambarage

Three superb centuries from Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera and Thilina Kandamby ensured that the touring England team spent another day suffering on the field as the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI piled up a massive 500 for 5 in their first innings on day two of their three day warm up fixture continued at the CCC grounds in Maitland Crescent yesterday.

After the more experienced Tharanga had completed a splendid 112 runs, two promising players from the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team Chamara Kapugedera and Thilina Kandamby stole the limelight while reaching the three figure mark.

Tharanga, looking for a recall to the national side after Marvan Atapattu’s retirement added 20 runs to his overnight score of 92 before he slashed Matthew Hoggard to Ravi Bopara at gully to leave his side at 255-4. The stylish left hander struck eleven fours and one six while adding 129 runs for the fourth wicket along with Chamara Kapugedera.

But England’s fielders continued to toil in the heat as Kapugedera and Kandamby built up a solid partnership that helped the home side reach 463 for 5 by tea. In fact the Board XI added 126 runs during a productive second session while losing the wicket of Chamara Kapugedera.

The middle order batsman showed great maturity during his innings where he occupied the crease for more than five hours while smashing three sixes and 16 fours before eventually hoisting Swann to Owais Shah on the midwicket boundary.

Left hander Thilina Kandamby also grabbed the opportunity and stamped his class with an unbeaten century. His effort was even more significant considering the fact that he scored his last 20 odd runs under fading light.

Kandamby hoisted three sixes and struck eight boundaries and his innings lasted for just over four hours.

In addition wicket keeper batsman Kaushal Silva also joined in the fun as he raced to an unbeaten half century from 74 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries. The most striking fact in his batting was the manner in which he handled the pace of Steve Harmison who is probably England’s best bowler in the team.

Kandamby and Silva had put on 103 runs in an unfinished sixth wicket partnership. The Sri Lanka Board XI eventually declared their first innings at 500 for 5 but heavy rain again prevented England from starting their innings.
 

SRI LANKA BOARD
PRESIDENT’S XI - 1ST INNINGS

Upul Tharanga c Bopara b Hoggard 		112    
Dilruwan Perera c Prior b Broad 		 20  
Malintha Warnapura lbw b Sidebottom 		 48  
Tillekeratne Dilshan c Bopara b Panesar 	  0  
Chamara Kapugedera c Shah b Swann 		141    
Thilina Kandamby not out 			107    
Kaushal Silva not out 				 54    

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-3, NB-6) 			 18                            
TOTAL (5 wickets dec; 131 overs)  		500  
Did not bat: Dhammika Prasad, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath and Tharanga Lakshitha           
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-41, 2-123, 3-126, 4-255, 5-397 
BOWLING: RJ Sidebottom 14-3-46-1 (1w), MJ Hoggard 18-7-45-1 (1w), JM Anderson 20-3-68-0, 
	 SCJ Broad 17-3-42-1, PD Collingwood 3-0-9-0, GP Swann  25-3-112-1, MS Panesar 27-3-117-1,
	 RS Bopara 1-0-4-0, SJ Harmison 6-0-48-0 (6nb, 1w)