Kenya overwhelmed after Tikolo dismissal

The match looked to be heading for a draw before a combination of decent spin bowling, woeful batting, sharp catching and a dash of misfortune all conspired to send Kenya tumbling to defeat in the first unofficial Test at P.Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on Sunday.

Kenya, on 31 for one overnight, still 91 runs in arrears after Sri Lanka A had scored 414 in their first innings, were bowled out for 150, leaving Sri Lanka's openers with a 29 run target. The game was won with ten wickets to spare shortly after the luncheon interval.

Steve Tikolo, arguably the best batsman to not be playing Test cricket at the moment, provided the only resistance with an entertaining 65 from 106 balls that included 10 boundaries.

But when he was brilliantly caught by an airborne Tillakaratne Dilshan at backward point, Kenya betrayed their inexperience in the first class game, losing their last seven wickets for 39 runs.

The day, which had begun early to make up for time lost on the second afternoon, started with an early wicket as left-arm fast bowler Ruchira Perera trapped Ravindu Shah (19) lbw.

Thereafter it was the spinners that did the damage, but not before Tikolo and Kenyan skipper Maurice Odumbe had laid the foundations for a game saving partnership. The pair added 38 runs and looked comfortable at the crease.

But they were separated when Odumbe was fingered by umpire T.H. Wijewardene as he went onto the back foot to an off-break from Muthumudalige Pushpakumara (77 for three).

Pushpakumara went onto to take four wickets in the innings, but it was leg-spinner Upul Chandana who then took the crucial wicket of Tikolo (111 for four).

With Tikolo back in the dressing room the innings went into freefall: Thomas Odoyo was caught behind off Chandana; Pushpakumara bowled Hitesh Modi after an ugly heave across the line; AO Suji gifted Dilshan a wicket with his part-time off-breaks and Collins Obuya was unfortunate to be caught at short leg when he cracked a short ball into Chamara Silva's armpit; Mohammad Sheikh was stumped and Martin Suji was last man out when he nibbled at a leg-spinner.

Pushpakumara finished with four wickets for 43, whilst Chandana picked up three for 36.

Sri Lanka A thus took a one-nil lead in the three-match series. The second game is to be played in Matara starting next Thursday.