Maurice Odumbe
Photo CricInfo
Sri Lanka A cruised to a comfortable eight-wicket victory against a weakened Kenya team in their first limited overs match at Mombassa Sports Club today. They dismissed Kenya for 180 in conditions that looked ideal for batting. In reply, the young Sri Lankan openers, Michael Vandort and Jehan Mubarak, both scored entertaining half centuries and Sri Lanka eventually won the match with 17 overs to spare.
Sri Lanka rested a number of players. Lanka Silva, Indika Gallage, Sujeewa Silva, Jehan Mubarak and Niroshan Bandarathillake were given an opportunity to play in place of Ruchira Perera, who has been sent to South Africa, Prasanna Jayawardne, Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Ravindra Pushpakumara and Chaminda Mendis.
Kenya were also forced to make changes. Their premier batsmen, Steve Tikolo, was forced to return to Nairobi for an emergency, Hitesh Modi sustained an injury in the recently completed three-day game and Collins Otieno has been diagnosed as having malaria.
|
Maurice Odumbe Photo CricInfo |
The Kenyan captain, Maurice Odumbe, won the toss in the morning and had no hesitation in batting first on what appeared to be an excellent batting wicket. However, the Sri Lankan opening bowlers, Indika Gallage and Sujeewa Silva, started well and the first boundary was only scored in the fifth over.
Just when Ravindu Shah and Kennedy Otieno looked to have finally settled, Sujeewa Silva had Otieno caught behind. Shah followed soon after. The wickets brought a young Jimmy Kamande to the crease. He looked almost school boyish in appearance, but announced his arrival at the crease with a crisp square drive, and then went on to score an entertaining half-century.
Kamande scored 66 runs from 93 balls and hit nine fours and one six. When partnered by the experienced Maurice Odumbe, Kenya looked capable of posting a competitive target. The pair added 50 for the forth wicket before Niroshan Bandaratillake caught Kamande off the bowling of Ruvin Peiris.
The dismissal marked the beginning of the end for Kenya. Odumbe was left stranded on 25 as the last five wickets fell for just 19 runs. Kumar Dharmasena of the chief architect of the collapse. He finished with five wickets for just 18 runs in his ten over spell. The Kenyans will be relieved that he has to leave shortly for the Sri Lankan tour of New Zealand.
A target of just 181 was never likely to be a problem and the Sri Lankan batsmen made it look easy. Michael Vandort once again impressed with 70 from 76 deliveries, which included two pulled sixes off Brijesh Patel, the Kenyan leg spinner. A youthful Jehan Mubarak displayed his abundant natural talent with a polished 79 from 86 balls that included a number of excellent shots off the back foot.
The two teams will now play another limited overs match tomorrow before returning to Nairobi on Monday.
© Cricinfo
| Teams | Sri Lanka. |
| Players/Umpires | Kumar Dharmasena, Jehan Mubarak. |
| Tours | Sri Lanka A in Kenya |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Results - Forthcoming Desktop Scoreboard |
|
|
|
||||||
| |||
|
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
| |||
|
