Somerset stay on top despite Lokuarachchi blitz

Somerset 372 (Wood 128*) and 159 for 4 (Edwards 67*) lead Sri Lanka A 280 (Lokuarachchi 91) by 251 runs
Scorecard

Sri Lanka A are facing a struggle to maintain their unbeaten record, after Somerset cemented their advantage on the second day at Taunton. By the close, Somerset had added 159 to their healthy 92-run first-innings lead, thanks to an unbeaten 67 from Neil Edwards, and with two days remaining, they are on course to end Sri Lanka's tour on a disappointing note.

Even so, Somerset's position could have been much healthier. but from a position of real danger at 156 for 8, Sri Lanka once again demonstrated their strength in depth, as their No. 8 Kaushal Lokuarachchi cracked a brutal 91 from 72 balls, including 13 fours and a six. His exploits were impressively backed up by Nuwan Kulasekara, whose cool 38 enabled the last two wickets to add 124 vital runs, and keep Somerset's lead to manageable proportions.

Up until that point, the star of the day had been Gareth Andrew, who grabbed each of the first three wickets to fall, as Sri Lanka slipped to 113 for 6 in reply to Somerset's 372. After a mini-revival from Prasanna Jayawardene, Richard Johnson then popped up with two wickets in consecutive deliveries, to leave Somerset on the verge of enforcing the follow-on. Lokuarachchi, however, had other ideas.

Sri Lanka continued their revival in Somerset's second innings, as John Francis was run out for 7, and the first-innings centurion, Matthew Wood, fell cheaply as well. But Edwards drove home the advantage, and by the close, Somerset led by 251 runs with six wickets still standing.