JAMAICA, Wednesday: Slow left-arm orthodox bowler Amila Aponso was named man of the match after picking up three crucial wickets and then helping Sri Lanka A score the crucial 32 runs for the ninth wicket to squeeze out a two-wicket win over West Indies A in the first unofficial ODI played at Sabina Park here on Wednesday.
In a low scoring game West Indies A winning the toss and batting first were bowled out for 176 in 48.4 overs with left-arm spinners Aponso and Malinda Pushpakumara making inroads into the batting after openers Montcin Hodge and John Campbell had posted 67 in 18.1 overs.
That was the only substantial partnership of the innings as West Indies A struggled to cope with the spinners. Hodge made a top score of 54 off 69 balls.
Aponso took three middle order wickets for 34 runs after Pushpakumara had dismissed the two openers.
Pacemen Lahiru Kumara and Chamika Karunaratne ran through the lower order taking five wickets between them.
Sri Lanka A in their reply didn’t have things their own way as they lost half the side for 83 before a stand of 35 between Karunaratne (14) and Charith Asalanka (33) carried them to 118-6. But West Indies A kept on taking wickets and when the eighth wicket fell at 149 in the 44th over were in with a chance of pulling off a win.
However Shehan Jayasuriya joined by Aponso denied West Indies A of any further success as they guided Sri Lanka A to victory.
Jayasuriya was unbeaten on 31 off 36 balls and Aponso 16 off 13 balls that included a six and a four.
West Indies A 176 in 48.4 overs (M Hodge 54, R Cornwall 37, Lahiru Kumara 3/26, Amila Aponso 3/34, Chamika Karunaratne 2/36, Malinda Pushpakumara 2/35)
Sri Lanka A 181-8 in 48 overs (Nipun Karunanayake 24, Charith Asalanka 33, Shehan Jayasuriya 31 n.o., Extras 23, S Cottrell 4/44, R Cornwall 2/31)
Add new comment