By Srian Obeyesekere

Sri Lanka A’s Sonal Dinusha and Pavan Rathnayake put the Pakistan A attack to the sword to the height of brilliant centuries in a mammoth 214-fifth wicket partnership as the second unofficial Test between the two sides ended in a draw on November 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Dinusha struck 116 off 184 balls hitting 10 boundaries and Rathnayake exactly 100 off 198 with 8 boundaries in an exhilarating gung-ho as the Lankans ran up 260 for 4 declared in setting the host team a target of 284 for victory on a pulsating final day’s exchanges with Pakistan A reaching 156 for 3 off 45 overs when stumps were drawn.

It was a superb comeback by the Sri Lankans in atoning for their defeat in the first unofficial test to the Pakistanis.

Sri Lanka A made 310 in the first innings with Sonal Dinusha the mainstay with a solid 85 followed up by his second innings undefeated century superb playmaker stuff in fronting Sri Lanka’s thrust to dictating terms to Pakistan in the second unofficial test.

Pakistan replied with 287 off 98 overs with Abdul Faseeh top scoring with 59.

Sri Lanka’s Wanuja Sahan claimed 5 wickets for 74 runs.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 310 (79), Sonal Dinusha 85, Wanuja Sahan 63, Isitha Wijesundara 51, Pavan Rathnayake 35, Ahan Wickramasinghe 30, Dinura Kalupahana 30, Khurram Shahzad 6/30, Ahmed Safi 2/100 & 260/4d (76) Sonal Dinusha 116, Pavan Rathnayake 100*, Ahmed Bashir 2/65

Pakistan ‘A’ – 287 (98) Abdul Faseeh 59, Mohammed Suleman 40, Ahmed Safi 39, Haider Ali 35, Ali Zaryab 32, Hussain Talat 25, Wanuja Sahan 5/74 & 156/3 (45) Mohammed Suleman 66, Haider Ali 43, Ali Zaryab 31