WEST INDIES TRI NATION SERIES

Sri Lanka defeated England by a comprehensive 77 runs in the final of the West Indies Tri Nation Series at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua on Saturday. Having lost the formal match a day ago to England, the Sri Lankans produced a fine all-round performance with the bowlers outfoxing the English on a slow surface. 

Sri Lanka, batting first posted 265 for 9 and bowled out England for 188. It was a brilliant performance by the Sri Lankans with openers Navod Paranavithana striking 108 and Kamil Mishara 69 in a 124-run alliance in 25 overs got their side of to the ideal start. Paranavitha made 20. The hero of the day Paranavithana, who was adjudged Player of the final, added a further 65 with Ravindu Rasantha who made 20.

England caved in against Sri Lanka’s concentrated pace-spin attack with Kavindu Nadeeshan claiming 3 for 43 backed by 2 wickets apiece by Ahan Daniel, Paranavithana and Sadeera Thilakaratne.

CHIEF SCORES:

Sri Lanka U19 269/9 (50 Overs) Run rate: 5.3

(N.D. Paranavithana 108, M. Mishara 69, A. Wickramasinghe 25,R. Rasantha 20, G.P. Balderson 4/55, B.C. Cullen 3/43)

England U19 188 All out (43.1 Overs) Run rate: 4.35

(J.M. Cox 77, J.A. Haynes 32, L.P. Goldsworthy 31, J.D.M. Evison 25, K. Nadeeshan 3/43, A. Daniel 2/25, D.S. Thilakaratne 2/31, N.D. Paranavithana 2/45)

England U19 – Ben Charlesworth, Tom Clark, Jordan Cox(wk), Jack Haynes, Lewis Goldsworthy, Joey, Evison, Dan Mousley, George Balderson(c), Kasey Aldridge, Blake Cullen, Hamidullah Qadri

Sri Lanka U19 – Nipun Dananjaya(c), Kamil Mishara(wk), Navod Paranavithana, Ravindu De Silva, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sonal Dinusha, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Dilum Sadeera Thilakaratne, Ashen Daniel, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Amshi de Silva

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-