England Chase 359 To Beat Sri Lanka Development XI

England Chase 359 To Beat Sri Lanka Development XI

Ravi Bopara was one of four England batsmen to score a half-century as they chased down 359 to win in Colombo

©REUTERS / Action Images

England XI 272-4 dec. & 360-6 (Prior 84) beat
Sri Lanka Development XI 431-6d & 199-d by 4 wickets
Tour game, Colombo

England successfully chased down 359 on the final day of their tour game against the Sri Lanka Development XI to win their tour game by four wickets.

Half-centuries from Matthew Prior (84), Samit Patel (72), Ravi Bopara (66) and Kevin Pietersen (52) ensured they closed on 360 for six after the home team had declared on 199 for four in their second innings.

The Sri Lankans declared after Angelo Perera had smashed 90 not out in 70 balls and Kaushal Lokuarachchi made an unbeaten 40 in 42 deliveries.

England had been set a stiff target and they were struggling early on when Ian Bell departed for 11.

Thereafter, however, they did a superb job of scoring at almost a run a ball throughout the innings.

Pietersen's 52 came from as many balls, Bopara made 66 in 100, Prior's belligerent innings occupied just 60 balls and Patel faced 78.

However, with those batsmen also falling as well as Tim Bresnan (14), it was left to Nottinghamshire pair Stuart Broad, not out on 17 in 27 balls, and Graeme Swann, who blasted 31 not out in 12 balls, to carry the tourists to victory.

The first Test against Sri Lanka begins in Galle on 26th March.

© Cricket World 2012