Sri Lanka A v England A: Hosts square series with Lions

Second unofficial Test scores
Sri Lanka A won by three wickets

England Lions 1st Inns 353 (Livingstone 105, Westley 68, Jennings 44; Pushpakumara 8-127)

Sri Lanka A 1st Inns 548 (Karunaratne 212, Samarawickrama 185; Rayner 4-164, Roland-Jones 3-67)

England Lions 2nd Inns 284 (Livingstone 140no, Foakes 54; Pushpakumara 5-78)

Sri Lanka A 2nd Inns 90-7 (T Curran 4-38)

Day Four report

England Lions made Sri Lanka A sweat over a series-equalling victory in Dambulla, but Liam Livingstone's second century of the match and seven cheap wickets were still not enough for the tourists.

Despite spin-friendly bowling conditions on the fourth day, Livingstone (pictured) made a stunning 140 not out to go with his first-innings 105 - joining Kevin Pietersen as the only two English batsmen to achieve the feat at this level.

Livingstone found solid support in Ben Foakes (54) as the Lions reached 284 all out to leave a final-session chase of 90.

Tom Curran continued building the tension with three early wickets and took his series tally to 10 when he swapped ends to add another.

Sri Lankan nerves were shredded even further when spinner Jack Leach struck twice in successive overs, both stumpings to help Foakes complete a Lions record of 10 dismissals in the match, but Malinda Pushpakumara got the home team over the line, securing a 1-1 draw, with three wickets to spare.

Pushpakumara was a fitting match-winner, having claimed 13 wickets with his left-arm spin. 

Post-match reaction

Lions head coach Andy Flower was effusive in his praise for Livingstone and Foakes despite the losing cause.

Of Lancashire batsman Livingstone Flower said: "I really enjoyed watching both innings, and one of the most enjoyable things was he looks like he's growing quite quickly as a player. It was a really great performance on a typical sub-continental wicket.

"The experience of playing on a turning track, and coming out on top with 140 not out, will give him tremendous confidence. He'll take that confidence with him now, and that is so important to your chances of doing well. 

"So it's really significant for him I think. We had an England selector, Angus Fraser, here for both of the games as well."

Foakes' glovework also caught Flower's eye, hardly surprising given his own pedigree as an international wicketkeeper.

"I know Bruce French, our lead wicketkeeping coach, was really proud watching Foakes's performance, because he's put in so many hours with Ben over the years, and the culmination of that was a real artist's performance with the gloves," he noted.

"Ten dismissals, and they were good dismissals - it's not like they were all straightforward nicks. A number of them were standing up to the wicket, both stumpings and catches, and he took one of the best catches I've seen from a wicketkeeper diving to his right - and that was in the 128th over."

Day three report

England Lions face a battle to save the match after Sri Lanka A piled more misery on the tourists on day three in Dambulla.

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne (pictured) shared an unbroken 303-run partnership on Saturday to put the hosts in control of the second four-day match and another dominant day strengthened their position.

Sri Lanka A lost Samarawickrama (185) early after resuming on 333 for three but another century stand between full internationals Karunaratne (212) and Dhananjaya de Silva (74) took the home side well beyond the Lions' 353.

Ollie Rayner finished with four for 164 and Toby Roland-Jones took three wickets as Sri Lanka's second string were eventually dismissed for 548.

Trailing by 195, the Lions lost Haseeb Hameed and Tom Alsop as they slumped to 32 for two before bad light ended play early.

The Lions won the first of the two-match series by 195 runs in Pallekele. 

Day two report

England Lions endured a chastening day in the field as Sri Lanka A took control of their second four-day match in Dambulla.

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Dimuth Karunaratne (pictured), who has played 36 Tests, shared an unbroken 303-run partnership to take the match away from the Lions, who were earlier bowled out for 353.

The tourists had resumed day two on 339 for nine - built around Liam Livingstone's century - but uncapped left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara quickly wrapped up the innings with his eighth wicket.

Sri Lanka A slumped to 30 for three in reply as Tom Curran, Toby Roland-Jones and Ollie Rayner each picked up a wicket.

But Samarawickrama (177) and Karunaratne (140) came together to make light work of the Lions spinners, with last year's top English wicket-taker Jack Leach going for 76 off 12 overs as the hosts closed on 333 for three.

Day one report

The Lancashire batsman defied wrist cramps and fierce heat in Dambulla to score 105 after putting on 110 for the fourth wicket with Tom Westley (68).

Livingstone fell shortly after reaching three figures, a feat he achieved off 133 balls, when he became one of seven victims for uncapped left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara (seven for 114).

Captain Keaton Jennings weighed in with 44 at the top of the order after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes added 30 with the last wicket stand between Jack Leach (17 not out) and Ollie Rayner (10 not out) worth 26 by the close.