In a thrilling display of Cricket prowess, three Sri Lankan batters showcased their skills by scoring half-centuries, but the England Lions are on the brink of victory as they need only 75 runs on the final day of the match. Nishan Madushka, Angelo Mathews, and captain Dhananjaya de Silva put up a valiant effort with their impressive innings, but it may not be enough to turn the tide in their favor against the resilient Lions at New Road.
The Sri Lankan team, trailing by 185 runs after the first innings, faced a tough challenge as they were bowled out in 87.1 overs on the third day of the tour match in Worcester. Despite Dimuth Karunaratne’s top score of just 26 on the opening day, Madushka, Mathews, and Dhananjaya managed to contribute with strong performances, scoring the first three half-centuries of the tour to help their team reach a total of 306 runs.
However, the Lions were not daunted by this total and made quick work of the chase on the third evening. Ben McKinney, the explosive Durham opener, made a brisk 20 off nine balls, setting the stage for the Lions to require only 75 more runs for victory with eight wickets still in hand going into the fourth day of the match.
Young offspinner Farhan Ahmed, the 16-year-old brother of England legspinner Rehan, emerged as the standout bowler for the Lions, claiming 3 wickets for 87 runs from his 29 overs. His crucial dismissals of Madushka, Mathews, and Sadeera Samarawickrama (who scored 25) helped put the Lions in a commanding position. Seamers Josh Hull, Zaman Akhter, and Lyndon James also chipped in with two wickets each to keep the pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen.
Dhananjaya, showing his all-round abilities, then struck with two quick wickets in the Lions’ run chase, sending McKinney’s leg stump cartwheeling and catching Ollie Price at slip with a cleverly disguised reverse-sweep. However, the Warwickshire duo of Rob Yates and Hamza Shaikh steadied the ship for the Lions and guided them safely through to the end of the day’s play, leaving them in a strong position to secure victory on the final day.
As the match heads towards a nail-biting conclusion, Sri Lanka will be hoping to salvage some pride in their only match practice before the upcoming Test series against England. This tour marks their first Test tour to England since their defeat in a three-match series back in 2016, and they will be eager to make a strong statement against the Lions before the Test series commences in Manchester next week.
