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England U19 73 for 1 (Denly 57*) trail Sri Lanka U19 153 (Weerasinghe 77, Sharma 5-44) by 80 runs
Naavya Sharma put the skids under Sri Lanka as England gained the upper hand on the opening day of the second Youth Men's Test at Cheltenham.
On a day when 25 overs were lost to rain, the Middlesex pace bowler served up an incisive display to return career-best figures of 5 for 44 and help dismiss the tourists for 153 inside 46 overs in their first innings. Harry Moore impressed on debut, claiming 2 for 38, while spinner Charlie Barnard weighed in with 2 for 35 in a disciplined England bowling and fielding performance.
Sri Lanka were indebted to Gayana Weerasinghe, who posted 77 from 111 balls in a defiant innings illuminated by eight fours and a six to ensure England did not have things entirely their own way.
Jaydn Denly afforded the reply early impetus, staging an enterprising knock of 57 not out from 59 balls, with 10 fours, as England reached stumps on 73 for 1, trailing by 80 with nine first-innings wickets in hand. Keshana Fonseka is unbeaten on seven and the home side will look to forge a meaningful lead when they resume in the morning.
With bowler-friendly conditions prevailing, England captain Hamza Shaikh won the toss and had no hesitation in asking the tourists to bat, a decision which was quickly vindicated once Sharma and Moore went to work with the new ball.
Bowling with express pace from the Chapel end, Sharma conjured a devastating burst of three wickets in 12 balls to rip the heart out of Sri Lanka's top-order. Making the most of low cloud cover, the Isleworth-born teenager squared up Pulindu Perera, the left-handed opener sending a leading edge looping high to Rocky Flintoff at short extra as the breakthrough came in the third over.
He then removed Sharujan Shanmuganathan and Mahith Perera with successive deliveries in the seventh. Playing across the line to a straight one, Shanmuganathan perished lbw, while Mahith, playing back to a length ball, was bowled via an inside edge. With the Young Lions rampant, Dinura Kalupahana survived the hat-trick ball, rapped on the pads by a delivery that was deemed to be going down the leg side.
Awarded his cap before start of play, tall Derbyshire seamer Moore lured Mahith Perera into front-foot indiscretion, the diminutive opener losing his off stump and departing for a 16-ball duck as Sri Lanka's batting imploded. England's charge was then held up by the elements, steady drizzle forcing the players off with the score on 27 for 4 in the eighth over.
England made further in-roads following the resumption, Noah Thain removing Dinura Kalupahana with his fourth ball after replacing Moore. Having scored an outstanding hundred in the first unofficial Test at Wormsley earlier this month, Kalupahana made just 16 on this occasion, slapping a half volley to mid-wicket.
Sri Lanka were simply unable to construct a meaningful partnership and, when Moore switched to the Chapel end, he drew Diniru Abeywickramasinghe into a loose shot and Jack Carney took a diving catch behind the stumps to further reduce the tourists to 70 for 6.
Only Weerasinghe offered genuine resistance, the tall right hander surviving a searching examination from Sharma and Moore to lead a recovery. Displaying the application demanded by a difficult situation, he initially reined in his attacking instincts, frustrating the bowlers and waiting patiently for the bad ball. Having played himself in during a truncated middle session, Weerasinghe gradually adopted a more expansive approach, driving slow left armer Barnard for six before rain forced a second break in play.
Sharma returned at the Chapel end in the final session and immediately made his presence felt, pinning Vihas Thewmika lbw for six and then bowling Praveen Maneesha next ball as Sri Lanka subsided to 106 for 8.
But Weerasinghe continued to muster defiance aplenty, going to his 50 via 75 balls and dominating a stand of 42 for the ninth wicket with Manuja Chanthuka. He was eventually bowled by Barnard, who then accounted for Chanthuka to terminate the innings.
The tourists' efforts were afforded perspective when England openers Denly and Archie Vaughan staged a partnership of 54 in 8.2 overs. Vaughan succumbed to Chanthuka's slow left arm, but there was no stopping Denly, who raised a quickfire 50 from 34 balls as the Young Lions seized the initiative.
