Right handed batsman Khurram Manzoor who had an average test series against Sri Lanka found his batting form when he slammed a swashbuckling 175 as Pakistan ‘A’ opted for batting practice against the Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI in the two day warm up match concluded at the Welagedera Stadium yesterday. Pakistan ‘A’ resuming from their overnight score of 80 for 1 batted the whole of day two to end on 394 for 9 in reply to the home team’s score of 207.
Khurram’s 225 ball knock comprised 21 boundaries and two sixes. Apart from Khurram the rest of the Pakistan ‘A’ batsmen cannot be satisfied with their performance as none of them were able to make a respectable contribution.
It was also the weakness of the bowling of the local side that saw the visitors come out on top. The two right arm pacies Tharanga Lakshitha and Nuwan Fernando were unable to make any headway.
Even though the spinners’ in skipper Jeewan Mendis, Sachitra Senanayake and Sachith Pathirana shared eight wickets between them they were sent on a leather hunt. Only skipper Mendis had economical figures.
The visiting Pakistan ‘A’ team will now play their first unofficial four day test match starting tomorrow against Sri Lanka ‘A’ at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium.
Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI 207 (Nadeera Nawela 65, Kanchana Gunawardena 38, Shalika Karunanayake 22, Dimuth Karunaratne 19, Sachitra Senanayake 16 n.o.: Naved Arif 5 for 67, Abdur Rehman 2 for 33)
Pakistan ‘A’ 394 for 9 (Khurram Manzoor 175, Sheharyar Ghani 39, Umar Amin 38, Faisal Iqbal 36, Fahad Iqbal 34, Azhar Ali 20, Sarfraz Ahmed 20, Abdur Rehman 18 n.o.: Jeewan Mendis 3 for 38, Sachith Pathirana 3 for 102, Sachitra Senanayake 2 for 112)-
MSA