Niroshan Dickwella ton helps Sri Lanka A pull level
The opener struck a 93-ball 111 and was part of a first-wicket partnership of 165 as his side overcame India A's 260-run target
ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Jun-2019
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Sri Lanka A 260 for 3 (Dickwella 111, Cooray 65, Shreyas 3-49) beat India A 259 (Gaikwad 74, Dananjaya 3-51) by seven wickets
Niroshan Dickwella's ninth List A century and his 165-run opening partnership with Sangeeth Cooray set Sri Lanka A on the track for a seven-wicket win against India A, helping them level the five-match series 2-2.
Having been put in to bat in Hubli, India A were anchored by a half-century from in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (74 off 73 balls), who also helped stitch together two half-century stands for the second and third wickets after the early loss of Prashant Chopra. However, apart from useful knocks from Ricky Bhui (38) and Deepak Hooda (37), the other India A batsmen failed to capitalise on their starts. They were eventually dismissed for 259.
The Sri Lanka A spinners - Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Shehan Jayasuriya and Ashan Priyanjan - dominated the wickets tally, taking seven wickets between them, including the scalps of Gaikwad, Bhui, Hooda and India A captain Ishan Kishan.
Dickwella (111 off 93) and Cooray (61 off 74) were rapid in their pursuit of the 260-run target, striking at over six an over during their 165-run partnership. The base was strong enough to survive three quick wickets - all to legspinner Shreyas Gopal - as Jayasuriya and Priyanjan took the side home in the 48th over with an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 75.