Rain forces second no-result at Dambulla

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Limansa Thilakarathna and Dewmi Vihanga during their partnership of 68

Vimoksha Balasuriya contributed a useful 31 batting at the top

Hannah Rowe the pick of the New Zealand A bowlers with three wickets

Bella Armstrong accounted for two top order wickets

Sri Lanka A-New Zealand A to play out series decider on 18 May

Heavy rain forced a second no-result in the three-match unofficial ODI series between Sri Lanka A and New Zealand A at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday, thus making the third and final game scheduled for 18 May to be the series decider.

There was more play in yesterday’s match than the first with New Zealand A getting a chance to bat at least for 10.1 of their revised 20 overs. They were well on track to win this contest after being set a target of 123. When the rains arrived they were 66-4 and required a further 57 runs off the remaining 10 overs.

New Zealand A looked as if they would run away with the match when they raced to 47-2 in 7 overs. But two brilliant direct hit run outs by the young Lankan fielders Chamodi Praboda and Sathya Sandeepani in the 8th over checked the run flow to some extent reducing the score to 47-4.

But Kate Anderson, their leading run scorer in domestic competition, was unbeaten on 19 and national T20 player Bella Armstrong on 13 and New Zealand A would have fancied their chances when the match was brought to an abrupt halt.

Earlier, Sri Lanka winning the toss for the second successive game and choosing to bat first were restricted to a score of 197-9 by some disciplined bowling by New Zealand A seamers Hannah Rowe, Emma Black, Bella Armstrong and Marama Downes who accounted for all eight wickets to fall to the bowlers.

Sri Lanka A at one stage were not too happily placed having lost six wickets for 110 in 35 overs. Only a face-saving partnership of 68 off 77 balls between Limansa Thilakarathna (24 off 36 balls, 1 four) and Dewmi Vihanga (44 off 48 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) helped them to their final total of 197-9.

– [ST]

Scores:

Sri Lanka A 197-9 (50) (Vimoksha Balasuriya 31, Sumudu Nisansala 24, Limansa Thilakarathna 24, Dewmi Vihanga 44, Hannah Rowe 3/36, Emma Black 2/49, Bella Armstrong 2/21)

New Zealand A 66-4 (10.1) (Kate Anderson 19*, Bella James 20)