Hellbuster
05-10-2006, 10:45 AM
Tour match, Worcester, day three of four: England A 259 & 41-0 bt Sri Lanka 179 & 118 by 10 wickets
Sri Lanka's preparations for the first Test at Lord's suffered a big blow when they went down to an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat by England A.
The tourists resumed day three on 68-5 and were skittled for 118, Jon Lewis ending with match figures of 9-110.
Tillakaratne Dilshan held up England A with a dogged 40 but when he fell to Stuart Broad (3-17) the end was swift.
Alastair Cook and Rob Key needed only eight overs to knock off the 39 needed shortly after lunch in Worcester.
Dilshan began confidently by hitting Rikki Clarke for successive boundaries in the second over of the day.
But the slide started when Chamara Kapugedera edged Liam Plunkett behind, while Farveez Maharoof chipped Lewis straight to Key at mid-on.
Broad produced a lifting delivery to surprise Dilshan into edging to Cook at second slip and there was little resistance from the tail-enders.
Defeat with a day to spare does not bode well for Sri Lanka's chances at Lord's next week but coach Tom Moody says their struggles were partly explained by the higher seam on the new Dukes ball.
Sri Lanka's preparations for the first Test at Lord's suffered a big blow when they went down to an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat by England A.
The tourists resumed day three on 68-5 and were skittled for 118, Jon Lewis ending with match figures of 9-110.
Tillakaratne Dilshan held up England A with a dogged 40 but when he fell to Stuart Broad (3-17) the end was swift.
Alastair Cook and Rob Key needed only eight overs to knock off the 39 needed shortly after lunch in Worcester.
Dilshan began confidently by hitting Rikki Clarke for successive boundaries in the second over of the day.
But the slide started when Chamara Kapugedera edged Liam Plunkett behind, while Farveez Maharoof chipped Lewis straight to Key at mid-on.
Broad produced a lifting delivery to surprise Dilshan into edging to Cook at second slip and there was little resistance from the tail-enders.
Defeat with a day to spare does not bode well for Sri Lanka's chances at Lord's next week but coach Tom Moody says their struggles were partly explained by the higher seam on the new Dukes ball.