Nuwantha spins Sri Lanka to morale-boosting 142-run win

Saturday, 7 November 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Keshara Nuwantha celebrates a wicket on his way to a four-wicket haul

Players of both teams congratulate each other at the end of the match

Eshan Malinga wrapped up the Patron’s XI innings with a blistering spell of 3/6

PCB Patron’s XI crumble for 111 chasing 254

ISLAMABAD: Off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha impressed with both bat and ball to give Sri Lanka a morale-boosting 142-run win against PCB Patron’s XI in their only 3-day warm-up match concluded at the Islamabad Club Cricket Oval here yesterday.

Nuwantha first contributed a valuable 30 runs batting at number 8 to help Sri Lanka extend their overall lead to 253. Then came back with the ball to capture four wickets. The chase collapsed rapidly under a clinical performance from the young Sri Lankan bowling attack.

The Patrons XI were dismantled for just 111 runs as Nuwantha led the destruction with outstanding figures of 4/26 in 7 overs. He was brilliantly supported by Eshan Malinga, who tore through the remaining line-up with a blistering spell of 3 wickets for just 6 runs in 3.1 overs. Dilshan Madushanka wrapped up the performance by claiming 1/15 to seal the victory for Sri Lanka giving them a strong confidence booster ahead of the upcoming 2-Test series against Pakistan starting at Rawalpindi on 9 November.

Sri Lanka resumed the final day on 121-6 and added 60 runs to their total before being bowled out for 181, setting the home side a target of 254 runs. Milan Rathnayaka carried his overnight total of 27 to 40 of 77 balls (5 fours) and Nuwantha contributed 30.

Scores:

Sri Lanka 223-7 decl. and 181 (o/n 121-6) (Sonal Dinusha 22, Anjala Bandara 34, Milan Rathnayaka 40, Kesara Nuwantha 30, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr 3/26, Saqib Khan 2/38, Ubaid Shah 3/18), beat PCB Patron’s XI 151-8 decl. and 111 (Abdullah Fazal 21, Tayyab Arif 32, Keshara Nuwantha 4/26, Eshan Malinga 3/6)