Dirty drama in darkness as Sri Lanka A win Super Over

By M. Shamil Amit

Sri Lanka A beat India A in a Super Over in a rare 50-over match in semi darkness in their Triangular series match in Dambulla yesterday as the game culminated with India’s opening pair of Shedge and Sooryavanshi making just 9 runs after Sri Lanka made 16.

Unable to stomach the result, Sooryavanshi pushed a Sri Lankan player after the match ended in a shocking act although both teams shook hands in the end.

Jaffna boy and fast bowler Kugadas Muthulan bowled the defending Super Over for Sri Lanka A and conceded just nine runs as Sooryavanshi could only hit just one boundary from the three balls he faced.

India A captain Tilak Varma had numerous arguments with the umpires before the Super Over and when his fast bowler Arshad Khan bowled the over Varma stepped in again to question the umpire who signalled no-ball after Sahan Arachchige moved across his stumps to a ball that pitched on the leg stump.

Avishka Fernando who faced the Super Over with Arachchige probably sealed the result when he hit the fifth ball for a straight six to post 16 runs in the over.

Sadeera Samarawickrama made 93 as Sri Lanka A went after a 266 target only to tie the match losing 9 wickets in the 50 overs.

Sri Lanka A was given a solid start of 56 in just 30 balls by openers Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando.

But from there on there were no significant partnerships and by the 22nd over Sri Lanka A had lost four wickets to be 143 for 5.

India A 265 in 49.2 overs overs (Suryansh Shedge 72, Vipraj Nigam 51, Ruturaj Gaekwad 37, Tilak Varma 23, Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi 21, Atyush Badoni 15: Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 3/26, Mohamed Shiraz 3/33)

Sri Lanka A 265 for 9 in 50 overs (Sadeera Samarawickrama 93, Niroshan Dickwella 37, Wanuja Sahan 25, Avishka Fernando 22, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 18, Chamika Gunasekera 18, Vishen Halamvage 17: Ayush Badoni 2/45)