By Srian Obeyesekere

In a typical century shootout of the two captains, Sri Lanka’s Sadeera Samarawickrama struck a compelling match winning unbeaten 129 off 110 balls striking 16 boundaries and 2 sixes in outdoing his opposite number Afghanistan A skipper, Darwish Rasooli’s explosive 155 off 147 topped by 8 sixes and an equal number of boundaries in a high scoring back to back triumph at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka A blazed away to 249 for 4 in 41.3 overs to overhauling Bangladesh A’s 248 for 4 in 50 overs with the third-wicket pair of Samarawickrama and Lahiru Udara 83 off 81 with 12 boundaries in overcoming the early 2 for 2 setback in a match turning 163-run partnership.

Afghanistan too was hauled from a 3 for 4 decimation by skipper Rasooli’s great innings after Sri Lankan pace bowler Dilshan Madushanka removed opener Zubaid Akbari for a duck and No.4 Sediqullah Atal for 1 while Shiraz dismissed co-opener Abdul Malik for a duck. But the Afghanistan captain had to be content of a truly valour job in a lost cause following Samarawickrama’s show with the bat in that harmonization with Lahiru Udara, a like support factor Rasooli did not receive from his batters in what was a lone effort.

Sri Lanka’s Mohamed Shiraz also shone with the ball claiming 2 for 43.

CHIEF SCORES:

Bangladesh A 248/8 (50 Overs)

(Darwish Rasooli 155, Ijaz Ahmad 35, Ikram Alikhil 32, Dilshan Madushanka 4/37, Mohamed Shiraz 2/43, Dushan Hemantha 1/40)

Sri Lanka A 249/4 (41.3 Overs)

(Sadeera Samarawickrama 129, Lahiru Udara 81, Sahan Arachchige 23, Khalil Ahmed 2/51, Qais Ahmad 1/39, Sharafuddin Ashraf 1/50)