by Sunday 10, November 1996
Sri Lanka `A' in danger of defeat in unofficial Test: Marvan to
Sharjah
SA'ADI THAWFEEQ reporting from Kurunegala
Sri Lanka `A' fighting with their backs to the wall to save the
first 4-day unofficial Test against West Indies `A' will lose the
services of their captain Marvan Atapattu, who has been called up
as the 14th player to Sharjah.
Atapattu, who scored a century in the first innings, was unbeaten
on 30 runs at the end of the third day when Sri Lanka `A', trail-
ing West Indies `A' by 201 runs on the first innings, finished on
86 for 2 wickets - still requiring a further 115 runs to avoid an
innings defeat. Today is the final day of the `Test'. Batting
with Atapattu is Saman Jayantha on 19.
Atapattu however, will not be able to continue his innings today
and save his side from defeat because he will be taking the
flight to Sharjah in the afternoon. He left for Colombo Saturday
night.
The SSC right hander was summoned to Sharjah Saturday afternoon,
and it is reliably understood that he will replace Asanka
Gurusinha in the Sri Lanka side for the Champions Trophy match on
Monday.
Sri Lanka are also facing an injury problem with Kumara Dharmase-
na in the injury list, but however Cricket Board sources said
that Atapattu was not being summoned as a replacement for Dhar-
masena.
Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy gave West Indies `A' the initial break-
through, as in the first innings, by taking two wickets in his
opening spell. Cuffy sent back openers Russel Arnold for three,
caught off the outside edge at slips and Duleep Samaraweera for
21, caught at silly mid-off, trying to fend off a sharp rising
delivery.
Atapattu coming to bat at the fall of the first wicket and Jayan-
tha with stood some hostile fast bowling by the West Indies to
survive till the close.
West Indies `A' continuing from their overnight total of 264 for
3 wickets, added a further 206 runs, before declaring at 470 for
9-35 minutes after the tea break, leaving Sri Lanka `A' the task
of surviving 22 overs. Bad light cut short play by nearly two
overs.
The West Indies batting stars of yesterday were left handers Tony
Powell (87) and Floyd Reifer (96) and skipper Roger Harper (51).
Powell and Harper, the overnight pair, carried their fourth wick-
et partnership to 109 before the fast bowler Nuwan Soysa achieved
the initial breakthrough of the day with the second new ball, by
having Harper caught superbly by a diving Jayantha at second
slip. Harper made 51 in 164 minutes with six fours.
Reifer, who retired hurt with cramps on the second day, returned
to resume his innings from 27. Dropped at six by Sanjeeva Rana-
tunga off Soysa and then at 44 - a return catch to Jayantha Sil-
va, Reifer made full use of these lapses to get within four runs
of a century. He was caught in the slips by Atapattu one of three
catches for him, off part time bowler Russel Arnold. Reifer bat-
ted 288 minutes and faced 232 balls hitting one six and eight
fours.
Powell hit a chanceless 87 in 254 minutes with 10 fours before
giving a return catch to Ruwan Kalpage.
Sri Lanka `A' also missed Shane Ford at eight when wicketkeeper
Lanka de Silva failed to stump him off Silva. The wicketkeeper
went on to help Reifer in a sixth wicket stand of 63 his share
being 27.
The West Indies tail did not last long, but with the last pair at
the wicket, Harper applied the closure.
SRI LANKA `A' - 1ST INNINGS 269
WEST INDIES `A' - 1ST INNINGS (264 for 3 overnight contd)
S. C. Williams c de Silva b Villavarayan 39, P. A. Wallace c de
Saram b Kalpage 124, F. L. Reifer c Atapattu b Arnold 96, D. R.
E. Joseph c de Silva b Silva 0, T. O. Powell c and b Kalpage 87,
R. A. Harper c Jayantha b Soysa 51, S. G. B. Ford c Atapattu b
Arnold 27, O. D. Gibson run out 5, R. N. Lewis c Atapattu b Silva
8, N. B. Francis not out 8, C. E. Cuffy not out 1, Extras (B-3,
LB-10, NB-11) 24.
TOTAL (for 9 wkts decl 138 overs, 575 mins) 470.
FALL OF WICKETS: 87, 198, 215, 324, 370, 433, 440, 460, 462.
BOWLING: Soysa 22-3-98-1 (NB-3), Villavarayan 19-5-70-1 (NB-5),
Silva 42-5-133-2 (NB-2), Kalpage 32-8-85-2 (NB-1), Jayantha 8-2-
10-0, Ranatunga 3-0-14-0, Arnold 12-1-47-2.
SRI LANKA `A' - 2ND INNINGS
R. R. Arnold c Williams b Cuffy 3, D. P. Samaraweera c Harper b
Cuffy 21, M. S. Atapattu not out 30, S. Jayantha not out 19, EX-
TRAS (B-4, NB-9) 13.
TOTAL (for 2 wkts at close, 20.1 overs, 104 mins) 86.
FALL OF WICKETS: 8, 49.
BOWLING (to date): Gibson 5-2-12-0, Cuffy 8-0-39-2, Francis 4-0-
21-0, Harper 2-0-5-0, Lewis 1.1-0-5-0.
Thanks :: The Daily News (Sri Lanka) and
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