Pakistan fall to spin after
century opening stand

Pakistan opener Salman Butt crashes the ball through the off side during his innings of 82 against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the Colts grounds yesterday (Pic by Rukshan Abeywansha)

Pakistan openers Khuraam Mansoor and Salman Butt shared a superb partnership of 153 runs off 32 overs before the Sri Lanka Cricket XI spinners put the brakes on to reduce them to a total of 301 for five wickets by stumps on the second day of their 3-day practice game continued at the Colts grounds yesterday.
Pakistan was replying to the home side’s first innings total of 345-5 declared.
Both Pakistani openers missed out on deserving centuries. Left-hander Salman the more aggressive of the two struck two sixes and 13 fours in his enterprising knock of 82 off 102 balls before falling to off-spinner Suraj Mohamed who also captured the wicket of vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq for 15 to end the day with figures of two for 65.
Skipper Younis Khan became Muthumudalige Pushpakumara’s first of three victims when the off-spinner had him caught by Suraj for a quickfire 37 scored off 40 balls with the aid of two sixes and an equal number of fours.
Mansoor who had anchored the Pakistan innings eventually fell for 83 offering Suraj his second catch of the innings and Pushpakumara his second wicket. Mansoor struck four sixes and six fours in his 136-ball innings.

Mohammad Yousuf making a return to the Pakistan team after a lapse of six months when he signed up with the rebel ICL, did not last long. He was snapped up by Thirimanne off Pushpakumara for 14 and Pakistan had lost four middle order wickets for 31 runs off 45 balls. Faisal Iqbal and Fawad Alam checked the slide with an unbroken stand of 63 of which Fawad’s contribution was 40 not out with a solitary four.
The performance of Suraj and Pushpakumara was in direct contrast to the two main Pakistani spinners Danish Kaneria and Saeed Ajmal who could capture only a solitary wicket for 169 runs off 45 overs between them.
Earlier Chamara Kapugedera celebrated his recall to the Sri Lanka squad for the first Test against Pakistan starting on Saturday with an attractive century punctuated by 11 fours and three sixes before retiring out at 115 scored off 150 balls. He was the second batsman in the Sri Lanka Cricket XI to cross three-figures after Lahiru Thirimanne who made a compact 114 on the first day – his second first-class hundred and first against an international team. – [ST]