Date-stamped : 31 Jul94 - 10:27 Pakistan v SL Board President's XI, Kurunagela, 28-30 July 94 ====> Day 1, 28 July 94 SANJEEVA RANATUNGA HITS COURAGEOUS UNBEATEN 93 Sanjeeva Ranatunga, forced to retire hurt after being struck in the face by a Wasim Akram delivery, hit a courageous unbeaten 93 for the Sri Lanka Board President's X1 against Pakistan at Kurunagela on Thursday. He helped the President's X1 to end the rain-shortened first day on 280 for five. Sanjeeva, who bats left-handed like his brother Arjuna, the Sri Lanka captain, had to face the hostile pace of Akram, Waqar Younis and Ashfaq Ahmed from the second over of the morning after test opener Chandika Hathurusingha had departed without scoring. Ranatunga weathered the storm but was forced to retire hurt shortly after completing his half century when he ducked into an Akram delivery and was hit on the side of the face. He returned at the fall of the third wicket to share a fourth wicket partnership of 96 with another left-hander, Hemantha Wickremaratne, who made an attractive 69 with two sixes and eight fours. As Ranatunga approached his century, Akram let loose another rearing delivery which hit him on the helmet. He was visibly shaken but battled on to the close. The Pakistanis would not have been happy with their overall per- formance. Waqar Younis and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed were disap- pointing, while Ranatunga was dropped twice before he reached 50. Summarized from a Reuter Report Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 2, 29 Jul 94 AAMIR SOHAIL PUTS PAKISTAN IN A COMMANDING POSITION WITH 146 Free-scoring left-handed opener Aamir Sohail led a Pakistan run spree with a magnificent century on the second day of their three-day match against the Sri Lanka Board President`s XI at Kurunegala on Friday. Sohail`s stroke-filled innings of 146 scored off 160 balls lifted Pakistan to 276 for four by the close in reply to the local team`s first innings of 326 on anoth- er rain-shortened day. Sohail, dropped at six and 96, raced to his half-century off 41 balls and his century off 108 balls. Overall Sohail batted 195 minutes and hit two sixes and 23 fours. With vice-captain Asif Mujtaba who opened the batting in place of regular opener Saeed Anwar who was indisposed, Sohail put on 120 for the first wicket. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored a delightful 47 off 74 balls with seven fours, helped Sohail in a further stand of 111 for the second wicket. Medium-pacer Kumara Dharmasena claimed all four Pakistani wickets to fall on a day when none of the other four local bowlers im- pressed. His per- formance will have boosted his chance of regain- ing his place for the first test starting on August 9. After a disappointing first day, Pakistan`s bowlers came back to form with Wasim Akram and Ashfaq Ahmed claiming the last five Board XI wickets for 46 runs with the second new ball. Akram was in devastating form claiming four wickets to finish with five for 76. His morning spell included the wicket of San- jeeva Ranatunga, caught in the slips for 97. Ranatunga added just four runs to his over- night total before be- ing dismissed, much to the disappoint- ment of his elder brother Arjuna Ranatunga, the Sri Lanka captain who made a special trip here from Colombo with the hope of seeing his brother complete a century. Ashfaq picked up the oth- er wicket to end with four for 47 -- a performance which would have clinched him a place as the third seamer in the Pak- istan test side. Pakistan were 153-1 in reply to the Sri Lanka Board President`s XI first innings of 326 at tea on the second day of their three- day cricket match on Friday. Summarized from a Reuter Report Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu) ====> Day 3, 30 Jul 94 KUMAR DHARMASENA BAGS 7 WICKETS. Pakistan's Salim Malik and Saeed Anwar scored their second suc- cessive half centuries in the tour of Sri Lanka on the final day of the second three-day game against the Board President's XI at Kurunegala which ended in a draw on Saturday. But Sri Lanka took some comfort from the perseverance of medium pacer Kumar Dhar- masena who ended with seven for 111 from 38.2 overs and may have earned himself a test place. Malik stroked a fluent 62 off 99 balls with one six and eight fours. Left-handed Anwar hit a ra- pid 66 off 69 balls including four sixes and six fours. The pair helped lift Pakistan to a total of 492 in reply to the local team's first innings of 326. The Board President's XI had made 64 for two in the second innings at the close. Pakistan, resuming from the overnight total of 276 for four, were dismissed 45 minutes before the tea break. Apart from Basit Ali, all the frontline batsmen showed good form, following Aamir Sohail's 146 on Friday. Wasim Akram, with a six wicket haul in the match and Ashfaq Ahmed with four wickets, have been the most effective bowlers. Summarized from Reuter News reports. Contributed by Vicky (vigneswa@risky.ecs.umass.edu)