Wells & Taylor shine in Sri Lanka draw

Leicestershire versus Sri Lanka, Day 3

SCORECARD | The scorecard from ESPN Cricinfo is available HERE

INTERVIEW | Tom Wells spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae, an interview is available HERE

Batsmen continued to prosper as the tourist match between Leicestershire and Sri Lanka ended as a draw at the Fischer County Ground.

Tom Wells made a career-best 87 not out and Rob Taylor scored 37* as the pair added an unbroken 72 for the sixth wicket, Leicestershire reaching 375-5 before the declaration point arrived at 100 overs.

Sri Lanka reached 200-4 in their second innings with opener Dinuth Karunaratne making a chanceless century before retiring out.

Leicestershire started the final day on 304-5 and Wells continued to get stuck in. Having already shared 128 with Michael Burgess on the second evening, the youngster set about another good partnership with Taylor.

The left-hander was quick out of the blocks, flicking a four down to fine leg before driving handsomely down the ground to the boundary in the first over of the morning.

Wells struck fours either side of point and Taylor also added another brace of boundaries – through extra cover and mid-wicket - as the duo took the score to 345-5 after an hour of play.

The stand passed 50 and the batsmen continued to look at ease, Wells driving another four and Taylor hitting two more boundaries down to third man and through the covers before the declaration arrived.

Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva took the tourists’ second innings score to 20-0 before lunch and advanced their partnership into three figures in the afternoon session.

The left-handed Karunaratne scored all around the wicket and gathered eight boundaries as he progressed to a 74-ball 50. Sri Lanka moved to exactly 100 before the first wicket arrived, Silva losing his middle stump to Taylor having made 43.

Karunaratne continued on his way, looking particularly strong driving through the covers and mid-off, and scored a century off 134 deliveries. He registered a further eight fours between 50 and 100 and retired as soon as he reached three figures.

Sri Lanka had been 191-1 before Karunaratne ended his innings and Leicestershire picked up two wickets before the captains shook hands. Niroshan Dickwella chipped Wells to Taylor and Milinda Siriwardana was bowled by Rob Sayer, both without getting off the mark.

Leicestershire’s next game is the NatWest T20 Blast opener against Northants Steelbacks on Friday night while Sri Lanka travel to Headingley to take on England in the first Investec Test Match on Thursday. It has been a pleasure having Sri Lanka at the FCG and we wish them well, it promises to be a good series.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Sheikh 3-0-17-0, Taylor 11-3-29-1, Wells 9-2-45-1, Sykes 8-2-28-0, Naik 8-3-19-0, Sayer 11.2-0-47-1.

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photo of Tom