By Srian Obeyesekere

The Sri Lanka Cricket President’s  XI  forced a draw against the touring Pakistan yesterday at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium. Pakistan ran up 342 in reply to the Board XIs 196 with skipper Babar Azam scoring 79 off 113 balls inclusive of 7 boundaries and a six and Saud Shakeel 61 off 96 inclusive of 6 boundaries. Lakshitha Munasinghe took 4 for 82 for the locals.

The locals were in trouble at 39 for 4 before Nuwanidu Fernando 31 off 42 with 2 boundaries and a six and Nipun Dhananjaya 26 off 45 with a boundary took the side to safety by an unfinished 49-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

CHIEF SCORES:

Sri Lanka Cricket President’s  XI 196 & 89/4 (30 Overs)

(Nuwanidu Fernando n.o. 31, Nipun Dhananjaya n.o. 26, Niroshan Dickwella 12, Agha Salman 2/18, Shaheen Shah Afridi ½, Naseem Shah 1/13)

Pakistan 342 (78.3 Overs)

{Shan Masood 83, Babar Azam 79, Saud Shakeel 61, Abdullah Shafique 25, Sarfraz Ahmed 17, Agha Salma 12, Muhammad Rizwan 12, Muhammad Hurraira 12, Lakshitha Munasinghe 4/82, Praveen Jayawickrama 2/89, Kavishka Anjula 1/39, Mohamed Shiraz 1/40)