Anjala, Pulindu to the rescue as West Indies Academy take control

Thursday, 11 June 2026 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

First unofficial 4-day Test at Hambantota

First innings centurion Anjala Bandara had to once again come to the rescue of Sri Lanka Emerging Players in the first unofficial 4-day test against touring West Indies Academy played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Having conceded a first innings lead of 25, Sri Lanka Emerging Players floundered against the pace of Johann Layne as they lost half the side for 91 in their second innings. Layne sliced through the Sri Lanka Emerging Players top order to end the third day with figures of 3/34 off 8 overs.

It was left to Bandara to stop the rot as he had done in the first innings with a prodigious knock of 163. On this occasion he found an able partner in Pulindu Perera. The pair halted the slide putting together an unfinished partnership of 82 for the sixth wicket with both batsmen completing their individual fifties before the close.

Bandara was unbeaten on 57 (off 122 balls, 5 fours) and Perera on 50* scored off 64 balls (7 fours). Sri Lanka Emerging Players ended the day on 173-5, leading overall by 148 runs with five second innings wickets in hand going into the fourth and final day today.

West Indies Academy resuming at 273-5 added a further 108 runs to their total to be all out for 381 in reply to Sri Lanka Emerging Players first innings of 356. The feature of their innings was the maiden first-class century scored by their captain Rivaldo Clarke. Playing in only his 11th first-class match Clarke whose previous highest score was 78 went onto reach a durable 127 off 218 balls (11 fours, 1 six) before falling to the left-arm spin of Shakthi Udara. Clarke in the company of Layne (35 off 54 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) frustrated the Sri Lanka Emerging Players bowling with a stand of 73 for the seventh wicket.

Udara added three more wickets to his overnight tally of three to finish off the West Indies Academy innings with impressive figures of 6/102 off 36.4 overs. – [ST]

Scores:

Sri Lanka Emerging Players 356 and 173-5 at close (Dinura Kalupahana 25, Anjala Bandara 57*, Pulindu Perera 50*, Johann Layne 3/34)

West Indies Academy 381 (o/n 273-5) (Damel Evelyn 35, Mavendra Dindyal 60, Shaqkere Parris 55, Rivaldo Clarke 127, Amari Goodridge 28, Johann Layne 35, Nisala Abeyratne 2/76, Chamod Battage 2/65, Shakthi Udara 6/102)