New Zealand beat Sri Lanka Board President’s XI by 3 wickets
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915 and Scott Styris, crossed the victory line with plenty of overs to spare.
Thissara Perera’s half-century was not enough to overturn a three-wicket defeat as the Sri Lanka Board President XI kept on losing wickets at regular intervals. Specifically the top order of the hosts was completely out-of-sorts as the top five wickets could amass only 27 runs. A disciplined bowling from Daryl Tuffey, Andy Mckay and Tim Southee was well complimented by fluent fifties from Scott Styris and Captain Ross Taylor to take the side home in just 38 overs with three wickets still intact.
After winning the toss, the President’s XI opted to bat first but Thilina Kandamby’s decision was not at all supported by the top order batting. The New Zealand attack had the hosts reeling at 34 for 5 at the end of 12 overs. A battling innings of 62 not out from Thissara Perera finally spearhead a recovery that steered the hosts to a respectable total of 219 at the end of 50 overs.
Sri Lanka Board President’s XI got off to a bad start, losing its opening wicket in the third over with only 9 runs on the board. The next man to go was Mahela Udawatte who was bowled by Daryl Tuffey after scoring just 4 runs. Wicketkeeper batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dinesh-c54134 Chandimal was run out in the next over after going for a suicidal run. His five ball innings added 2 runs to the scorecard.
Chamara Silva and opener Lahiru Thirimanne added 16 runs to the team’s total for the third wicket partnership before the opener gave an edge to keeper Gareth Hopkins off Daryl Tuffey. Thirimanne’s 12 runs from 25 balls contained a boundary to his credit as well. The next two overs added only one run to the scorecard. On the last ball of the 11th over, Chamara Silva, after struggling at the crease, edged the ball into the gloves of Hopkins off Southee’s bowling. Thilina Kandamby’s 12-ball innings earned him only one run. He was caught behind on a beautiful delivery of Jacob Oram, leaving the hosts struggling at 34 for 5.
Milinda Siriwardana and Kosala Kulasekara took 11 overs to post 29 runs for the sixth wicket stand. In the 23rd over, Kulasekara departed after nicking McKay to Hopkins. He played a patient innings of 15 runs from 37 balls. At 63 for 6, the President’s XI was desperate for a big partnership and that was when Siriwardana and Farveez Maharoof showed some initiative. Both played a flurry of beautifully-timed shots through the boundary line easing the nerves of the host team. The partnership was worth 64 when Jeetan Patel broke it, having Maharoof clean bowled for 39.
Maharoof’s departure brought Thissara Perera to the crease to join Siriwardana in his assault but the duo could add only 11 runs to the scorecard. That became 138 for 8 when fluent Milinda Siriwardana mistimed McKay to Patel. His 66-ball stay at the crease earned him 41 runs including 2 fours. Perera’s pugnacious 62 off 39 including 8 boundaries and two lofty sixes took the side to a respectable total. At the end of the allotted 50 overs, the hosts were 219 for 9.
New Zealand got off to a shaky start as opener http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BJ-Watling-c1172 was caught behind in the fourth over with only 6 on the board. However the half-centuries from Taylor and Styris smoothed the path for the visitors to reach an easy three-wicket victory with 12 overs to spare.
Tags: