The touring Westlake Boys High School First XI Team from Auckland, New Zealand started their Sri Lankan tour with a loss to S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia and played at Kalutara yesterday.

The Westlake Boys First XI who are the current Auckland First XI Tier 1 champions were still recovering from jetlag when they were asked to bat first on a bowler friendly pitch. 

At 99 for nine, the Westlakers were looking for an early bus ride back to the hotel when the late order batter Alex Waldron and the last man Luke Harrison had other ideas. Waldron and Harrison knuckled down to put on 70 runs for the 10th wicket.

The wickets were shared among the bowlers with Akhilesh Rajakaruna finishing with the best figures of three for 17.

S. Thomas’ made light work of the target and notched them down with the loss of two wickets with Jaden Amaraweera scoring 46 runs and Sadew scoring an unbeaten 75 runs.

The Westlake 1st XI will play their remaining games on this tour at Matara, Karandeniya and in Colombo and this tour is organised and led by Amita Weerakoon, the former Thurstan College First XI player and current Director of Takapuna District Cricket Club in Auckland.