Friday, February 10th, 2023

MORE SUCCESS WITH THE BALL FOR TONGUE AS LIONS DRAW SECOND TEST

Worcestershire pace bowler, Josh Tongue, picked up another three wickets for England Lions on the final day of the drawn second Test with Sri Lanka ‘A’ in Galle.

Tongue was responsible for three of the first four wickets to fall on day four after Sri Lanka had resumed on 202-3 to bolster the Lions’ chance of victory.

He ended with 3-77 from 15 overs to add to his 5-76 in the first innings, and his overall analysis was 37-4-153-8.

Tongue also showed his potential with the bat in making 29 in the Lions’ first innings in what has been an excellent Lions Test debut for the 25-year-old.

He made the first breakthrough of the day in his second over of the day in dismissing opener Nishan Madushka for exactly 100.

There was more success for Tongue in his next over in having Nipun Dhananjaya (15) caught behind by Jamie Smith.

His first spell brought him figures of 5-1-19-2, and he claimed a third scalp when returning for a second burst in bowling Chamika Karunaratne for nought.

Sri Lanka were then 279-7 but recovered to reach 356 all out and set a 284 target.

The Lions began positively, but wickets fell at regular intervals, and they eventually had to settle for a draw at 173-7 from 39 overs.

Haseeb Hameed (47) and Josh Bohannon (34 not out) were the main contributors, with Tongue not required to bat.