Day of Rathnayakes as Sri Lanka ‘A’ win Tri-Nation Series

Saturday, 26 April 2025 00:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Explore Afghanistan Tri-Nation Series champions Sri Lanka ‘A’

Pavan, Milan and Tharindu the heroes

Milan Rathnayake and Pavan Rathnayake carried Sri Lanka ‘A’ to

victory with match-winning stand

Tharindu Rathnayake destroyed Irish middle order with four wickets

It was the day of the Rathnayakes as three of them came up with outstanding performances that saw Sri Lanka ‘A’ beat Ireland Wolves by five wickets and crown themselves champions of the Explore Afghanistan Tri-Nation Series in the final played at Abu Dhabi yesterday.

After ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Rathnayake had bowled Ireland Wolves out for 200 taking 4/33, it was the turn of batsman Pavan Rathnayake and all-rounder Milan Rathnayake to counter-attack brilliantly and take Sri Lanka ‘A’ across the line in a brilliant unbroken match-winning partnership of 160 off 152 balls.

Both batsmen made identical scores 77* - Pavan off 76 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes and Milan off 83 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes as they lifted Sri Lanka ‘A’ from a despairing 43-5 to 203-5 to chase down the target of 201.

Having dismissed Ireland Wolves for 200 off 47.3 overs, Sri Lanka ‘A’ found themselves in desperate trouble losing their first five wickets to Irish seamers Thomas Mayes and Liam McCarthy who made the ball talk in the first power play. But with plenty of balls in hand Pavan and Milan steadied the ship with some resourceful batting to turn the game in Sri Lanka’s favour, pouncing upon the inexperience of the Irish to capitalise in such situations.

Milan with figures of 3/24 and two catches to go with his unbeaten half-century took the Player of the Match award.

Ireland Wolves, invited to bat first by Sri Lanka ‘A’ were off to a quick start with the openers posting 40 for the first wicket. Milan broke through by getting the wickets of both openers, and then the spinners got to work in the middle order as Ireland Wolves collapsed to 76-5.

Morgan Topping held the innings together with a plucky 73 off 101 balls (7 fours, 1 six) but found little support coming from the rest of the batters apart from Mayes who stuck it out for 49 balls to score 36 (2 sixes) in a partnership of 73 with Topping that enabled Ireland Wolves to reach 200.

With Milan creaming off the top order spinners Tharindu Rathnayake (4/33) and Dushan Hemantha (2/51) accounted for the rest of the batting.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ finished the tournament unbeaten winning all four league matches and the final.

Scores:

Ireland Wolves 200 (47.3) (Cade Carmichael 21, Morgan Topping 73, Thomas Mayes 36, Milan Rathnayake 3/24, Tharindu Rathnayake 4/33, Dushan Hemantha 2/51)

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 203-5 (34.3) (Pavan Rathnayake 77*, Milan Rathnayake 77*, Thomas Mayes 3/38, Liam McCarthy 2/50)

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