Sa'adi Thawfeeq
NORTHAMPTON, Friday - Sri Lanka were left with 228 to chase for victory after Northamptonshire had fought back from 60 for 5 to 227 for 5, in the 50-over one-day match played here today.
The late revival was staged by David Sales (91) and Jeremy Snape (78), who both hit half-centuries and shared in an unfinished sixth wicket stand of 167 off 28 overs.
Sri Lanka are due to play South Africa at this venue in next year's World Cup on May 19. It is not the only game which will be played at this beautiful venue, because the Pakistan-Bangladesh game is also scheduled here on May 31.
Sri Lanka fielded a virtual one-day side with the exception of perhaps Hashan Tillekeratne, who may be replaced by either Mahela Jayawardene or Chandika Hathurusingha for the triangular matches.
On a pitch described by Sri Lanka manager Ranjit Fernando as ``a sub-continent wicket'' because of the slow surface, Arjuna Ranatunga opted to field first after winning the toss, and Sri Lanka struck an early blow when they dismissed Robert Bailey, a former England one-day player for a duck.
After Pramodya Wickremasinghe had begun the match with a wide, Ravindra Pushpakumara took a wicket off his first ball when he forced Bailey to edge a ball moving off the seam to Sanath Jayasuriya at slip. Pushpakumara was forced to retire after bowling one ball of his sixth over with a pinched muscle behind his knee, which according to physio Alex Kountouri is an injury which he gets on and often, but is not serious. Aravinda de Silva completed the over.
The county recovered sufficiently through a 40-run second wicket stand between Malachy Loye and skipper Kevin Curran, but suffered further setbacks when spinners Muthiah Muralitharan and Kumara Dharmasena came on.
Muralitharan struck twice in three overs, to remove Curran, the former 38-year-old Zimbabwe all-rounder for 14, as he attempted a big hit and, Loye for 29, as he stepped out to drive and was stumped by Romesh Kaluwitharan. Muralitharan finished with 2 for 37 off 10 overs. Dharmasena missed a hat-trick when he bowled Tony Penberthy for five and trapped Tim Walton in front of the wicket off the next delivery, but Jeremy Snape denied him the rare honour. Dharmasena had excellent figures of 2 for 27 off ten overs.
Snape and David Sales, the youngest player to score a double century in a county championship match on debut (210 n.o. v Worcestershire in 1996 at the age of 18 years, 237 days) saw the county reach a respectable total for Sri Lanka to chase.
Sales slammed 10 fours a six in his 107-ball knock of 91, and Snape hit nine fours in his run-a-ball 78.
Northamptonshire for whom former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm is playing, are not having a good season, being placed fourth from the bottom of the county championship table and tenth in the Axa Sunday league.
Sri Lanka scrape out one-wicket win
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
NORTHAMPTON, August 7 - WORLD CHAMPS Sri Lanka were extended to the full by Northamptonshire before they scraped home by one wicket with 13 balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the two-day cricket challenge fifty over-match played here today.
The second match of the contest is on Sunday when the two sides meet again at the same venue, after which the Sri Lanka and Northamptonshire 'Player of the Challenge' awards will be made.
Chasing Northamptonshire's total of 227 for five, Sri Lanka were at one time coasting to victory at 223 for six in the 46th over. But the dismissals of Kumara Dharmasena lbw for 11, Pramodya Wickremasinghe for one, and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga for a superbly struck 69 off 72 balls, inside six balls, saw them reduced to 227 for 9, and the possibility of the match ending in a tie.
It was left to the last pair, Muthiah Muralitharan and the injured Ravindra Puspakumara, who came to bat with a runner, to see the team through. Muralitharan survived the first four balls of Robert Bailey's over, before snicking the fifth to the third man boundary for four to provide a thrilling finish.
With the exception of Ranatunga, who at one time looked like carrying his team through, the rest of the batsmen failed to put up a big score after playing themselves in. Ranatunga struck one six and eight fours in his fine knock and shared in a fifth wicket stand of 67 with Hashan Tillekeratne, who hung around 51 balls for 17 runs.
Sanath Jayasuriya was once more unfortunate to fall victim to a poor umpiring decision, which has dogged him throughout the tour. Just as he looked like blossoming out into the Jayasuriya that we all know, he was shockingly given out leg before wicket to a ball from Devon Malcolm drifting towards the leg side. Jayasuriya had taken Malcolm to task in the three balls prior to his dismissal slamming the former England speedster for two fours and a thundering six over mid wicket. He made 31 off 27 balls with a six, a five and four fours.
Romesh Kaluwitharana (28), Marvan Atapattu (28) and Aravinda de Silva (26) all batted impressively during their short spells at the wicket, but it was left to Ranatunga to carry Sri Lanka to the door step of victory.
Ranatunga was caught by Northamptonshire captain Kevin Curran at backward square-leg as he attempted to flick Tony Penberthy off his legs with the scores level to set up an exciting finale.
It was a fine effort by Northamptonshire to come almost to the point of tieing the match with the world champions, after at one time being out of the contest when they had lost half the side for just 60 runs.
The county had to thank David Sales (91) and Jeremy Snape (78) to thank largely for that. The pair were involved in an unfinished sixth wicket partnership of 167 off 28 overs which gave respectability to the Northamptonshire total after put into bat first.
Northampton is Sri Lanka's 'home' venue during next year's World Cup and what an exciting start they have made. Apart from game warm-up matches here and around the county, Sri Lanka will also meet South Africa in a World Cup game here on May 19.