Sri Lanka Under-19 cricket team in England in 2005

Sri Lanka Under-19s toured England in July and August 2005. They played three "One Day Internationals" and three "Tests" against the England Under-19 side. The England Under-19s were completely dominant, winning two of three ODIs and three Tests, and the third of the ODIs was declared a no result due to rain. The Sri Lankans performed well in patches, but never consistently, too often relying on the one big partnership to carry them to respectable scores. Meanwhile, England had many stand-out players, but skipper Varun Chopra - who made three fifties and was never dismissed for anything below 27 - and all-rounders Tom Smith and Moeen Ali stood out in the Test series. Fast bowler Stuart Broad also impressed in the four matches he played, taking 9 ODI wickets at a bowling average of 8.00, and five Test wickets at an average of 11.60. However, his absence during the last two Tests did not stop England.

Matches

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"England Under-19s won by eight wickets"

Stuart Broad and Andrew Miller shared seven wickets between them with fast bowling as the visiting Sri Lankan youth team crumbled to 124 all out, wicket-keeper and opener Sameera de Zoysa from Kurunegala top-scoring with 24. After an opening partnership of 40 things went awry for the tourists, as Broad took two wickets with two balls. The target of 125 was chased with ease, Kent right-hander Joe Denly making 45 while Worcestershire wicket-keeper Steven Davies made an unbeaten 28. [http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19ODI1_26JUL2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]

"No result"

Only twenty-six balls were delivered in this one-day game, Stuart Broad taking another wicket to bring his tally of the series to five. However, Sri Lanka Under-19s made 20 for 1 from 26 balls, before playing conditions made cricket impossible. [http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19ODI2_28JUL2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]

"England Under-19s won by seven wickets"bad

Sri Lanka Under-19s looked to succumb for a much lower score than the 129 they eventually managed, as seven of their first eight batsmen were out for single figure scores as the tourists plunged to 24 for 6 and 59 for 9. Stuart Broad and Tom Smith took seven wickets between them, while medium-pacer Ben Harmison, brother of Steve took two before all-rounder Shalika Karunanayake made 58 to save some face for the tourists. However, England's skipper Varun Chopra made an unbeaten 69 to anchor the chase, while Steven Davies made 31, as England Under-19s eased to 130 for 3 with nearly twenty overs to spare. [http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19ODI3_29JUL2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]

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"England Under-19s won by 220 runs"

On the first day, 16-year-old left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana took four wickets to interrupt England's progress, but runs were taken off the other bowlers and England's youth players were set at 133 for 4. Fifties from Moeen Ali - cousin of England international Kabir Ali - Tom Smith and Nicholas James turned the game towards England, however, as England made their way to 386 for 7 at stumps and 411 all out a little while afterwards, despite Pathirana ending up with six wickets for 125. Sri Lanka's wickets fell regularly, with the highest partnership being worth 50 for the fourth wicket, and Mark Footitt got three for 61, despite bowling six no-balls. However, Angelo Matthews stood tall and made his way to 80, including 16 fours, which rescued the tourists to a somewhat respectable 295 - trailing by 116 after being bowled out five overs into the third morning.

Fifties from Varun Chopra and Kevin Latouf showed that England were determined to get a big lead, leading by 315 with five wickets in hand at the close of on day three. After adding 37 in five overs on the fourth morning, England declared, leaving a target of 353. Footitt took two early wickets, but again revealed a no-ball problem, as he bowled five in nine overs. Still, Sri Lanka collapsed to 59 for 5, before a 38-run partnership between Pathirana and Lahiru Peiris gave them some hope. However, Leicestershire's Stuart Broad ended the matter with five for 17 from 12.2 overs, and Sri Lanka ended on 132, losing the first Test by 220 runs. [http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19T1_03-06AUG2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]

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"England Under-19s won by 183 runs"

England took their second win of the three-Test series to take an unassailable series lead. The going had been tough early on, though, as the first day was limited to 40 overs due to rain at Scarborough, and Shalika Karunanayake took four for 31 with his fast-medium bowling. Earlier, Kevin Latouf had smacked his way to 51 - including nine fours - but Karunanayake got rid of him and three more in quick succession, as England crumbled from 112 for 3 to 126 for 7. England added 18 more runs before rain stopped play, but Ben Harmison and Tom Smith kept going on the second day. The pair added 105 as Harmison made 76 and England managed to get past 200. Smith got good help from the lower order, and his unbeaten 78 showed promise, while Karunayake took another wicket to end with five for 78. Sri Lanka quickly crumbled to 151 for 9, again thanks to Smith, who took four for 26 in 14 overs, but Charles Fernando and Chathupama Gunasinghe made a last-wicket partnership of 76 - hitting six sixes between them - to lift Sri Lanka to 227, 67 behind England's first innings score.

Having added 16 without loss before the close of day two, England added runs slowly but surely on the third day, led by skipper Varun Chopra who top-scored with a gritty three-and-a-half-hour 64. After a short setback to 171 for 6, where Gunasinghe took four for 61, Chris Thompson and Nick James lifted the team back with an 81-run stand. James made a half-century with three sixes, while Gunasinghe took another wicket on the final day to end with five for 70 - leaving Sri Lanka 348 to win in nearly a day. But Mark Footitt and Adam Harrison took four wickets each, and despite determined resistance from Chatura Herath and Lahiru Peiris, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 164. [http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19T2_09-12AUG2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]

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"England Under-19s won by 173 runs"

Englands Under-19 recorded their third victory of the Test series, and as in the first two the margin of victory was more than 100 runs. Varun Chopra, Ben Harmison and Moeen Ali all made fifties after Chopra won the toss and chose to bat first - Ali's an unbeaten 52. Chathupama Gunasinghe and Shalika Karunanayake both took three wickets between them, but couldn't get more regular breakthroughs, and England took control on day two. Tom Smith took three wickets and Mark Footitt two, and just as Sri Lanka were recovering from their early morning jitters, part-time off-spinner Moeen Ali was sent on. In 6.1 frantic overs, Ali conceded 29 runs, but he took the last four wickets as Sri Lanka crumbled to 155, Gunasinghe left stranded on 18 not out.

Ali continued his all-round performances the next morning. After 52 not out and four for 29, he was sent in to bat with the score 203 for 4, after Kevin Latouf had departed for 56. The Sri Lankan bowlers were treated with disdain, as he made a 56-ball century, England's first ton of the series, and England declared on 366 for 5 - 509 runs ahead. Despite spirited resistance, Tom Smith got the first three wickets, and finished with four for 77, while Moeen Ali took three for 82 to cap a magnificent day. Sri Lanka's number six, Angelo Mathews, made 123 not out - the highest score of the series - but got little support except from number ten Charles Fernando, who made 52 in a whirlwind ninth-wicket partnership with Mathews, but Fernando was bowled by Joe Denly and Moeen Ali could take the last wicket. Ali's final match returns were 152 runs in two unbeaten innings and bowling figures of 26.3-2-111-7. [http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/OTHERS/SL-U19_IN_ENG/SCORECARDS/SL-U19_ENG-U19_U19T3_15-18AUG2005.html (Cricinfo scorecard)]