COOLIDGE – Barbados Pride pair of Kyle Mayers and Roston Chase hit half-centuries as the CWI President’s XI predictably drew their two-day match with Sri Lanka yesterday in Antigua.
Mayers made 57 and Chase gathered 52 before the President’s XI were bowled out for 294, replying to the Sri Lankans first innings total of 172, on the final day at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
The President’s XI were unable to make any inroads when the visitors batted for a second time and reached 56 without loss when stumps were drawn.
This followed the President’s XI losing the overnight pair of Shai Hope for 68 and Darren Bravo for 30 inside the first half-hour.
Mayers, one of the heroes of the West Indies Test series victory in Bangladesh last month, then shared a stand of 76 for the fourth wicket with Barbados Pride teammate Shamarh Brooks.
The President’s XI were leading by only 26, after they were dismissed within five overs of each other, with Mayers striking 11 fours in his knock to bolster his confidence ahead of the first Test, which starts on Sunday.
But Chase, whose part-time off-spin led the President’s XI bowling the previous day, stitched together a string of minor stands to extend the lead before he reached his landmark.
His dismissal to left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya sparked a swift decline of the innings, with the President’s XI losing their last three wickets for 21.
Summarised scores:
Sri Lanka 172 (Oshada Fernando 47, Dinesh Chandimal 40, Pathum Nissanka 23, Dhananjaya de Silva 17, Niroshan Dickwell 13 not out, Dasun Shanaka 13; Roston Chase 4-12, Anderson Phillip 3-47, Kemar Roach 2-41) and 56 without loss (Dimuth Karunaratne 27 not out, Lahiru Thirimanne 23 not out).
CWI President’s XI 294 (Shai Hope 68, Kyle Mayers 57, Roston Chase 52, Darren Bravo 30, Shamarh Brooks 19, Kavem Hodge 13; Dhananjaya de Silva 3-26, Lasith Embuldeniya 3-69, Suranga Lakmal 2-14). (AR)
