Vandersa baffles Pakistan…..

Sri Lanka Board President’s XI’s right arm leg spinner Jeffrey Vandersay claimed an impressive five-wicket haul despite twin fifties of Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan as Pakistan compiled 247 all out in the three-day warm-up match game which started at Colombo Colts grounds yesterday.

At close, Sri Lanka Board President’s XI were 44-1 after losing Dimuth Karunaratne for a second ball duck.

Top scorer in the Pakistani innings, Ahmad Shehzad hits a boundary during the three-day warm-up match game which started at Colombo Colts grounds yesterday. Picture by Rukmal Gamage

Vandersay, 25-year-old former Wesley College cricketer, baffled the visitors through his deliveries including the scalps of skipper Misbah ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq and Ahmed Shehzad. The top scorer for visitors, Shehzad was brilliantly caught by Jehan Mubarak at slips for 82.

Electing to bat, Pakistan lost Mohammad Hafeez, who was trapped in front off Nisala Tharaka in the third over of the match and lost the second wicket at 39.

Since then Shehzad and Younis Khan steadied the innings with a 113-run partnership before all-rounder Milinda Siriwardene completed his second wicket as Younis departed for 64 hitting three sixes and five fours.

The tourists, who reached 150-2, were reeling losing the last eight wickets within 95 runs.

Sri Lanka Board President’s XI includes four seamers, namely Vishwa Fernando, Nisala Tharaka, Kasun Rajitha and Binura Fernando in a team which twelve players included, allowing 11 players for batting and fielding.

Upul Tharanga was timing the ball quite handsomely during his unbeaten 29 runs which included five fours off 37 balls. (SJ)