By Srian Obeyesekere

Tim Robinson struck an unbeaten 101 and Curtis Heaphy 75 in an unfinished record 172 second wicket stand as New Zealand A hit back making a bold reply of 199 for 1 wicket after hosts Sri Lanka had run up 381 when Sonal Dinusha held the stage with a dream 108 in first innings exchanges on the second day of the first four day unofficial test at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The Robinson-Heaphy leverage saw the visitors well placed to within sight of wiping out the further 182 deficit with 9 wickets in hand and the pair in prime form having dictated terms to a hapless host attack in that plunder.
Robinson struck 10 boundaries in his workmanlike 178 ball reign while Heaphy was content with 5 long strokes in a stoic waiting game, the two having come together following the early loss with 27 on the board of skipper Rhys Mariu who was bowled by Dilum Sudeera for .

Their unflinching partnership was high solace to the Kiwis picking themselves up from the wreck of a 3-0 ODI clean sweep that followed the hosts continue that domination into the test match before Robinson and Heaphy met that challenge in the mercurial.

Sri Lanka’s innings was also bolstered by the inform Lahiru Udara who made a compact 90 ball 61 upfront, Ramesh Mendis 48, Isitha Wijesundara 36 and skipper Pasindu Suriyabandara 32.
Tim Pringle 3 for 87 was the pick of Kiwi bowlers.

Chief scores:
Sri Lanka A 381 (97.5 overs)
Sonal Dinusha 108, Lahiru Udara 61, Ramesh Mendis 48, Isitha Wijesundara 36, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 32, Pavan Rathnayake 27, Nuwanidu Fernando 21, Nishan Madushka 20, Tim Pringle 3/88, Younghusband 2/97, Ryan Harrison 2/60)

New Zealand A 199/1 (62 overs)
(Tim Robinson n.o. 101, Curtis Heaphy n.o. 75, Dilum Sudeera 1/50)