Tharanga, Gunaratne guide SLB XI to victory over Windies

By M. Shamil Amit

An enterprising 124-ball knock of 120, inclusive of 16 boundaries and a six, by skipper Upul Tharanga and 64 in 75 balls by Asela Gunaratne paved the way for Sri Lanka Board XI to record a comfortable two-wicket win over the visiting West Indians side in the first warm up encounter played at the P. Sara Stadium today (17).

Sri Lanka Board XI in pursuit of a challenging score of 283 runs suffered an early setback as they lost two quick wickets in the first over, with the score on two.

Tharanga and Gunaratne came to the rescue of the side, associating in a massive 197-run stand for the third wicket, before Thikshila de Silva and Pulina Tharanga put on an unbroken 30-run partnership for the side to reach the target in the 48th over.

Earlier in the day West Indies, taking first lease of the wicket, also suffered early losses with two early wickets falling for three runs inside the first three overs.

Darren Bravo who made a top knock of 100 came to his side's rescue putting on two valuable partnerships - first for 113 runs for the third wicket with Sunil Ambris and the other of 80 runs for the fourth wicket with Nicholas Pooran - for West Indies to make a score of 282 runs which in the end proved to insufficient.

West Indies will play their second warm up game against the Sri Lanka Board XI side on February 20 in Katunayake.

West Indies 282 in 49.4 overs (Darren Bravo 100 rtd, Sunil Ambris 41, Nicholas Pooran 41 rtd, Fabian Allen 28, Jason Holder 22: Dilshan Madusanka 3 for 47, Asitha Fernando 2 for 17)

Sri Lanka Board XI 283 for 8 in 47.3 overs (Upul Tharanga 120, Asela Gunaratne 64, Lahiru Udara 22, Thikshila de Silva 25 n.o.: Sheldron Cottrell 2 for 22, Hayden Walsh 2 for 52, Fabian Allen 2 for 62)