Sangha’s Double Ton Headlines Final Day as Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ Share Series Spoils
The second four-day encounter between Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ wrapped up in a stalemate at Marrara Cricket Ground on July 23rd, with both the match and the series ending in a 0-0 draw.
Australia ‘A’ skipper Jason Sangha stole the spotlight on the final day, converting his overnight century into a marathon unbeaten double century. His 202* off 379 balls — laced with 12 boundaries and a six — steered his side to a mammoth 558/4 in response to Sri Lanka ‘A’s 485.
The hosts began Day 4 at 379/3, just 106 runs behind, and quickly shut the door on any chances of a Sri Lankan fightback. Sangha, composed and relentless, found an ideal partner in Oliver Peake. The No. 5 batter narrowly missed out on a century, falling for 92 after a gritty 165-run stand with his captain.
With time running out and the pitch offering little for the bowlers, any hopes of a result faded quickly. Sri Lanka ‘A’ tried to break through with off-spinner Nishan Peiris, who bowled 43 overs and ended with 2/144, but the Australian batters remained untroubled.
Earlier in the match, Sri Lanka ‘A’ had the upper hand on Day 2 thanks to standout performances from Pavan Rathnayake, who struck a fluent century, and Sonal Dinusha, who added resilience in the middle order.
However, Australia ‘A’s clinical response with the bat ensured the contest remained even, with both sides showing glimpses of quality but unable to produce a decisive edge over two tightly fought matches.