Minod Bhanuka 130, Pasindu Sooriyabandara n.o. 113 in drawn game

By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka A’s wicket-keeper batsman Minod Bhanuka struck a career best 130 and Pasindu Sooriyabandara an unbeaten 113 that were the highlight in the tadium yesterday.

The Proteas, set a target of 324 for victory were 156 for 4  Sri Lanka A scored 327 for 3 wickets when bad weather took off the shine of what was an eventful final sessions when the game was called off at 4.30 p.m. It gave the Lankans, skippered by all-rounder Kamindu Mendis, a 1-nil series win.

Minod Bhanuka’s explosive 207-ball innings was powered by 5 sixes and 10 boundaries while Pasindu Sooriyabandara struck 12 boundaries and 2 sixes in a third-wicket bonding of 154 runs. Sooriyabandara took the Player of the Match award by virtue of his first innings score of 41.

Sri Lanka A skipper Kamindu Mendis, while expressing the series win satisfaction, did lament that on a personal note his recent illness had been an undermining factor to not being among the runs, but looked forward to getting back to full nick shortly. 

CHIEF SCORES:

Sri Lanka A 290 & 327/3 decl. (Minod Bhanuka 130 , Pasindu Sooriyabandara n.o.113)

South Africa ‘A’ 294 & 156/4 (Tony de Zorzi 35, Matthew Breetzke 38, Keegan Peterson 29, Zubayr Hamza n.o. 24, Tristan Stubbs 12, , Praveen Jayawickrama 2/43)