Leg-spinner Todd Astle took an 11-wicket match bag as New Zealand A annihilated Sri Lanka A by 9 wickets in the second unofficial Test match at Lincoln, Christchurch on Monday.
After being comprehensively beaten 4-0 during the one-day series, Sri Lanka A managed to draw the first of two unofficial Test matches in Christchurch last week but hosts’ ended the tour on a dominant note at Lincoln with a day to spare.
Dean Brownlie and Henry Nicholls crafted centuries to spearhead a consistent top order effort as the home team posted a mammoth 519 on the score board. Australian-born Brownlie made 113, an innings eclipsed by Canterbury batsman Nicholls, who thrived on one of his home grounds.
The 23-year-old left-hander continued his impressive form against the tourists with his second ton, a classy 137 studded with 15 boundaries and a six. Nicholls finished with a strike rate of 90.1 from a 152-ball knock that followed his unbeaten 144 in the opening four-day game.
Leg-spinner, Jefferey Vandersay was the only positive in the Lankan bowling performance as he picked up an expansive 5-wicket haul for 128 runs.
Sri Lanka in their 2nd innings had to score more than 217 to make the New Zealanders bat again. Kithuruwan Vithanage, Sri Lanka’s most reliable batsmen, led the final rearguard action with a belligerent 84 from 99 balls; left-handed opener Minodh Bhanuka made 69 before he became the first of leg-spinner Astle’s seven scalps.
The Lankan middle-order failed miserably against Astle’s leg-spinners as he ended on 11 for 133. The visitors lost their last 9 wickets for just 100 runs.
Sri Lanka A – 303 all out in 83 overs: Asela Gunaratne 79, Udara Jayasundara 52, Kithruwan Vithanage 62, Angelo Jayasinghe 49, Todd Astle 4/55, Neil Wagner 2/79, Matthew Quinn 2/57.
New Zealand A – 519 all out in 121.3 overs: Henry Nicholls 137, Dean Brownlie 113, Jeet Raval 65, Will Young 66, Derek de Boorder 58*, Jeffrey Vandersay 5/128.
Sri Lanka A (2nd inn) – 234 all out in 59.1 overs: Minod Bhanuka 69, Kithruwan Vithanage 84, Amila Aponso 24, Todd Astle 7/78, Ish Sodhi 2/64.
New Zealand A (2nd inn) – 20/1 in 2 overs: Michael Bracewell 12*, Jeffrey Vandersay 1/12.
