RAWALPINDI: Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 85-run knock kept Sri Lanka ‘A’ ahead of Pakistan Shaheens on day two of the second four-day match here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
At the stumps on day two, Pakistan Shaheens were 212/5 in response to Sri Lanka’s 310. Hussain Talat and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, unbeaten on 18 and five respectively, will resume the Shaheens’ innings on the penultimate day, with the home side trailing by 98 runs.
Earlier in the day, the visitors could add 17 runs to their overnight score of 293/8 before being bundled out for 310.
Sonal Dinusha top-scored for the touring side with an unbeaten 85 off 172 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries.
Besides Dinusha, lower-order batters Wanuja Sahan (63 off 79) and Isitha Wijesundara (51 off 41) made notable contributions to Sri Lanka’s total with brisk half-centuries.
Khurram Shahzad was the standout bowler for Pakistan Shaheens in the first innings, returning astonishing figures of 6/30. Ahmed Safi Abdullah chipped in with two wickets.
In response, the Shaheens got off to a dismal start as they lost their captain Mohammad Huraira (4) early with just 16 runs on the board.
Following the early hiccup, Ali Zaryab and Abdul Faseeh anchored the innings with a solid 82-run partnership.
The second-wicket stand had put Shaheens in command but the back-to-back dismissals of both their set batters halted their progress.
Abdul Faseeh remained the top-scorer for the home side with 59 off 108 deliveries, while Zaryab made 32 from 97 balls.
Mohammad Suleman and Haider Ali then added valuable runs in the middle, courtesy of their 54-run partnership, lasted with the former’s dismissal in the 58th over. He scored an important 40 off 75 deliveries.
Haider was then involved in a brief 26-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Talat until falling victim to Sahan in the dying minutes. He scored 35 off 65 balls, laced with one boundary.
With the half of the side back into the dugout, Talat and Ghazi batted sensibly to see off the remaining six overs of the eventful day. The duo had added 11 runs to their stand when the stumps were called.
Wanuja Sahan led the bowling charge for Sri Lanka on the second day with two wickets, followed by Chamika Gunasekara, Isitha Wijesundara and Nipun Dhananjaya, who shared three wickets between them.
