The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sri Lanka `A' takes lead

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Monday, Nov 06, 2006
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Sri Lanka `A' takes lead

S. Sabanayakan

KOLKATA: Sri Lanka `A' was just recovering from the blows it suffered on the second day morning. South Zone had a chance to hasten the end but Y. Venugopala Rao failed to latch on to a flier from Chamara Silva at first slip off S. Sreesanth.

This reprieve helped the fifth wicket pair of Silva and captain Thilan Samaraweera to add 103 valuable runs and enable the visiting team take a vital 61-run first innings lead in the Duleep Trophy match at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.

At stumps, South had made 24 without loss with Dinesh Karthik on 16 and Robin Uthappa on 7. By conceding the first innings lead, South not only surrendered the initiative to the visitor but also is in a situation where it needs to attack.

The pitch is still playing easy and offering slow turn. But this may not help South's cause unless the Lankans play poor cricket from here to lose the match. Otherwise, Sri Lanka `A' is almost through to the final.

Kaushik impresses

The day's best bowler was medium-pacer P. Kaushik Reddy. The Hyderabad medium pacer, who was a replacement for an injured L. Balaji of Tamil Nadu, bent his back and used the conditions in the morning quite well. He got rid of Mahela Udawatte and M. Warnapura quickly.

Samaraweera and Jehan Mubarak put on 49 runs for the fourth wicket before Mubarak was leg-before to Sreesanth. After the dismissal of Upul Chandana and Samaraweera (69, 9x4), wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva took charge and made a fluent 55 (10x4) before Kaushik returned with the second new ball to pick up two more wickets to end with figures of four for 57.

Young Yo Mahesh, though lacking in experience, worked hard for his three wickets. Indian new ball bowler Sreesanth gave away too many for his two wickets.

The scores:

South Zone — 1st innings: 266.

Sri Lanka `A' — 1st innings: M. Vandort b Yo Mahesh 14, M. Udawatte c Laxman b Kaushik 34, M. Warnapura lbw b Kaushik 0, T. Samaraweera c Laxman b Yo Mahesh 69, J. Mubarak lbw b Sreesanth 32, C. Silva c Karthik b Ojha 70, U. Chandana c Karthik b Sreesanth 6, K. Silva c Karthik b Kaushik 55, A. Ganegama c Karthik b Kaushik 16, T. Lakshitha lbw b Yo Mahesh 8, D. Prasad (not out) 6; Extras (b-6, lb-7, nb-4): 17; Total (in 88.3 overs): 327.

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-36, 3-57, 4-106, 5-209, 6-218, 7-254, 8-312, 9-313.

South Zone bowling: Sreesanth 21-3-75-2, Kaushik 22-6-57-4, Yo Mahesh 16.3-1-74-3, Ojha 26-5-89-1, Venguopala Rao 2-0-14-0, Laxman 1-0-5-0.

South Zone — 2nd innings: D. Karthik (batting) 16, R. Uthappa (batting) 7; Extras (w-1): 1; Total (for no loss in 5 overs): 24.

Sri Lanka `A' bowling: Ganegama 3-0-16-0, Prasad 2-0-8-0.

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