Tour Match: Sri Lanka Board XI v Indians at Colombo, 8-10 Aug 2001 CricInfo Live Report

Tour Match: Sri Lanka Board XI v Indians at Colombo, 8-10 Aug 2001
Rex Clementine

Sri Lanka Board XI 1st innings: Lunch - Day 1, Tea - Day 1,
Pre-game: Toss and Teams,

VANDORT CENTURY TAKES SRI LANKA BOARD XI PAST 200 MARK

A classic 116 from tall Michael Vandort helped Sri Lanka Board XI to go past the 200 mark at tea on the first day of the three-day practice match against India. Vandort was dimissed at 116 and at tea Sri Lanka were 214 for six with skipper Thilan Samaraweera on 28 and all-rounder Suresh Perera on four. Vandort, who reached his fifty just before lunch was the only one to show some resistance against the Indian bowling attack.

In the fourth over after the lunch break, bowled by Rahul Sanghvi, Vandort scored 13 runs including two classic fours, one on the on side and the other on the off side.

However, he got little support from the rest of the Sri Lankan batsmen. TM Dilshan, another player trying to make a come back to the senior side departed having made six. The right-hander tried to defend a rising delivery from Javagal Srinath and failed to keep the ball down. Mohammed Kaif at forward short leg accepted the catch gleefully giving Srinath his third wicket of the match. Dilshan made just six in 26 minutes and 18 balls. Sri Lanka were on 134 for five at that stage.

Sanghvi, who started bowling from the Air Force Flats End after the morning drinks break continued till the afternoon drinks break. Altogether in his first spell Sanghvi bowled 14 overs giving away 54 runs and picked up the wicket of Hashan Tillakaratne.

Vandort brought up his century in style sweeping left arm spinner Sanghvi to the fine leg boundary. The century came in 152 balls with 16 boundaries.

In the next over bowled by medium paceman Harvinder Singh, he smashed the bowler's first, second and fifth deliveries for fours. But trying to do the same in the bowler's last delivery he was caught at gully by Sadagoppan Ramesh for 116 with 19 boundaries.

He along with skipper Thilan Samaraweera, who played yet another solid knock put up 61 runs for the sixth wicket.

Sri Lanka went past the 200 run mark in 52.3 overs in 229 minutes.

VANDORT HALF CENTURY PROPS UP SRI LANKA BOARD XI INNINGS

Hashan Tillakaratne and Michael Vandort propped up the Sri Lankan Board XI innings, which lost three early wickets in the first hour's play of the three-day practice match against India. India struck a crucial blow in the last over before lunch by dismissing Tillakaratne who looked solid and appeared set for another big knock ahead of the Tests.

Tillakaratne and Vandort put up 58 runs for the fourth wicket in 106 minutes and 69 balls after the early collapse. Rahul Sanghvi playing in his first game of the tour of Sri Lanka dismissed Tillakaratne for 26 in 69 minutes and 56 balls with four boundaries. Left-handed Tillakaratne having done the hard work during his stay at the middle edged the ball to wicketkeeper, Sameer Dighe giving the Indian stumper his fourth catch of the match.

Mediumpacer, Harvinder Singh replaced Javagal Srinath from the Press Box End. Srinath bowled an impressive spell of seven overs and claimed the wickets of Avishka Gunawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. The opener for a duck and the wicketkeeper batsman for four.

He along with Venkatesh Prasad bowled unchanged in the first hour. Prasad on the other end dismissed Chamara Silva for 11. Prasad was replaced by left arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi from the Air Force Flats End. Prasad's seven overs cost just 13 runs.

While Tillakaratne played the supportive role he's known for over the years occupying the crease, Vandort with having gotten set went for his shots. Most of his runs were scored through the long off, long on region.

India also could have seen the back of the tall left-handed Vandort if Sameer Dighe had not missed a stumping chance with the batsman on 41. Vandort moved forward trying to drive Rahul Sanghvi and missed the ball, but Dighe failed to collect the ball and Vandort survived.

Vandort brought up his 50 with an exquisite cover drive off Harvinder Singh. His fifty came in 81 balls and 117 minutes with four boundaries.

Sri Lanka board XI's 100 runs came in the 28th over of the match in 118 minutes.

SRI LANKA BOARD XI ELECT TO BAT ON WINNING THE TOSS

Sri Lanka Board XI captain, Thilan Samaraweera won the toss and elected to bat in the three day match against the Indian touring team at the P. Sara Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. This is the only first class game the visitors have got ahead of the Test series, which starts on August 14 in Galle.

The Sri Lanka Board XI have six Test players - Avishka Gunawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, TM Dilshan, Hashan Tillakaratne, Suresh Perera and Ruchira Perera - in their ranks.

Only Sairaj Bahutule from the players who arrived for the Test series has been left out of the side. Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh who played a crucial role in the Coca-Cola Cup have been rested allowing the other players to get a taste of the Sri Lankan conditions.

This morning the game was delayed by half an hour due to moisture on the pitch.

The match was scheduled to be played at the Uyanwatta Stadium in Matara but was shifted to Colombo on a request by the Indian team.

Sri Lanka Board XI team: MG Vandort, DA Gunawardene, K Sangakkara, LPC Silva, HP Tillakaratne *TT Samaraweera, +TM Dilshan, ASA Perera, S Weerakoon, PDRL Perera, KADM Fernando.

Indians team: SS Das, S Ramesh, D Mongia, HK Badani, *SC Ganguly, M Kaif, +SS Dighe, J Srinath, Harvinder Singh, RL Sanghvi, BKV Prasad.