Tourist match continues to intrigue
Mon 4 Jul 2016
The contest between Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A continued to be an even one on the second day at the Fischer County Ground.
Pakistan A ran with a similar theme to Sri Lanka A's 299 with runs shared around rather than somebody making a huge score, and they closed at 271-8.
Indeed, Mahela Udawatte’s 64 remains the highest score of the hard-fought encounter although Mohammad Nawaz (62 not out) could go past that tomorrow and captain Babar Azam (pictured) went close with 61.
Pakistan A resumed on 20-0 and openers Sharjeel Khan and Jahid Shaukat extended their stand to 56 before two wickets fell in consecutive deliveries.
Shaukat (15) nicked Asitha Fernando to Minod Bhanuka while Fakhar Zaman received the sort of ball nobody wants first up, a yorker from the first-class debutant that sent the off stump cartwheeling.
Khan’s fine knock of 42 then came to an end as he pulled the off-spin of captain Ashan Priyanjan to Lahiru Gamage at mid-wicket.
Azam and Umar Siddiq regrouped and moved the score to 109-3 at lunch, going in on 34 and 9 respectively.
The skipper registered a half-century from 70 balls with nine fours before falling lbw to the left arm spin of Sachith Pathirana for 61. It ended a fourth wicket stand of 86, one that would prove to be the highest of the day.
Two further wickets fell to the slow bowlers before the interval, Siddiq’s patient 39 brought to a halt as Priyanjan nipped one through his defences while Mohammad Hasan was leg before to Pathirana.
Pakistan A slipped further into trouble when Bilawal Bhatti was caught behind off Gamage’s right arm seam but a handy partnership developed between Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Ali.
They shared 36 with Ali hitting a quickfire 22 but the batsman was then lbw on the back foot to slow left arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
Nawaz reached 50 from 97 deliveries (6x4) and then farmed the bowling to move to 62 not out by the time that bad light brought a slightly premature end to the day’s play.
