Cricket: England denied by last-wicket stand

Myles Hodgson England A 384 Sri Lanka Colts XI 213 & 209-9 Match drawn

England A 384

Sri Lanka Colts XI 213 & 209-9

Match drawn

England A emerged from yesterday's frustrating draw against a Colts XI in Colombo with a full understanding of the difficulties they face in returning victorious from the Sri Lankan leg of their winter tour.

Despite playing the better cricket for the majority of the three days and producing a wholehearted performance on the final day, a couple of missed catches and a series of dubious umpiring calls prevented them recording their first triumph before the opening unofficial Test in Kurunegala on 30 January.

Tempers frayed occasionally with both Ben Hollioake and Dougie Brown revealing their frustrations with prolonged appeals as a last-wicket partnership prevented a deserved win.

But those lapses apart they produced a superbly committed display in the absence of both the manager, Graham Gooch, who was sorting out an alternative hotel for the third Test in Matara after their original base became infected with an outbreak of cholera, and their flu-ridden coach, Mike Gatting.

(Third day of three; Colts X1 won toss

ENGLAND A - First Innings 384 (D L Maddy 101, S P James 66).

SRI LANKA COLTS XI - First Innings

(Overnight: 208 for 8)

A Polonowita c Ormond b Hollioake 25

N Rajan c Knight b Ormond 11

I Gallage not out 0

Extras (b9, lb2, nb14) 25

Total ( 87.5 overs) 213

Fall: 9-211.

Bowling: Ormond 16-5-37-3; Hollioake 12.5-5-26-2; Brown 9-1-29-1; Giles 27-10-46-2; Ealham 6-1-27-0; Cosker 17-6-37-2.

SRI LANKA COLTS XI - Second Innings

B Ediriweera c Hollioake b Giles 27

*S Kalavitigoda b Brown 31

A Polonowita c Nash b Ealham 15

Sampath Perera c Maddy b Brown 0

M Mendis lbw b Brown 56

S Fernando b Cosker 31

T M Dilshan c Knight b Cosker 0

B de Silva c Ealham b Brown 9

Suresh Perera b Hollioake 12

N Rajan not out 8

I Gallage not out 3

Extras (b3, lb9, w1, nb4) 17

Total (for 9, 82 overs) 209

Fall: 1-58, 2-62, 3-63, 4-97, 5-160, 6-162, 7-174, 8-183, 9-201.

Bowling: Ormond 5-0-37-0; Hollioake 14-4-29-1; Brown 18-2-50-4; Giles 17-11-20-1; Ealham 9-5-14-1; Cosker 19-5-47-2

Umpires: S Amarasinghe and J W Boteju.