ENG v SL (U19) 2024, ENG19 vs SL19 3rd Youth ODI Match Report, July 3, 2024

England U19 268 for 9 (Benkenstein 102) beat Sri Lanka U19 260 (Weerasinghe 80, Perera 53) with four runs – DLS

The Essex batter made 102 in England’s 268 for 9 in a match that was reduced to 45 overs due to rain. In gloomy conditions, Gayana Weerasinghe led Sri Lanka’s reply with a polished 80 from 76 balls and Mahith Perera’s half-century threatened to take his team to victory. But Perera was run out by Freddie McCann’s direct hit in the 43rd over and the Sri Lankan tail had too much to do.

England had won the toss and Nottinghamshire’s McCann, who made 174 in Monday’s win on the same pitch, looked set to make Sri Lanka pay when wicketkeeper Sharujan Shanmuganathan dropped a simple catch in the second over when he had not scored. McCann took three boundaries in an over from Hivun Kenula but then gave off-spinner Vihas Thewmika a simple return catch in the eighth.

It was one of three wickets to fall before rain began in the 16th over, but when play resumed Benkenstein, who made 51 in the first match of the series at Chelmsford last Friday, and Essex team-mate Charlie Allison began to flourish.

Benkenstein’s first 50 runs came from 69 balls and his partner was only slightly quicker (62 balls) to his half-century before both put their foot down. Benkenstein needed just 29 more deliveries to reach his hundred, including seven fours and five sixes, while playing aggressive strokes from both sides of the wicket.

Allison contributed an impressive 87 from 85 balls to a stand of 184 in 29 overs, with seven fours and two sixes, before passing to Thewmika who tried to hit him over mid-wicket in the 37th over. Benkenstein hit a wide delivery from Dinura Kalupahana to deep backward point for 102 in the next over and England lost momentum.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers came back strongly in the final overs to take 6 for 44 in 7.2 overs, with Thewmika finishing with 4 for 33, leaving them needing 269 runs at 5.9 runs per over.

England’s seamers nibbled away as Sri Lanka responded, Harry Moore breaking through by bowling Hiran Jayasundara through the gate and McCann taking the first of two wickets with his off breaks when Pulindu Perera reverse-sweeped straight to gully.

Debutant Alex Green was well caught by Allison, who dived deep at mid-wicket, by left-handed Shanmuganathan. And when Noah Thain gently swung the first ball to captain Dinura Kalupahana, Sri Lanka needed 144 runs from 21 overs.

Weerasinghe and Mahith Perera kept them in the race, putting on 64 runs for the fifth wicket in nine overs, but England retained a good talent for batting when required and Weerasinghe drove Dom Kelly’s slower ball to mid-off where Benkenstein took a good catch.

Sri Lanka’s hopes now rested on the wristy Perera whose stand with Diniru Abeywickramasingha looked set to carry them over the line. But Abeywickramasingha mistimed a scoop after they had added 46 for the seventh wicket and Perera (53 from 54 balls) was brilliantly run out by McCann’s direct hit from backward point as England held their nerve.