Cricket: President's XI has healthy lead over Sri Lanka

President's XI bowler Blair Tickner delivers a ball at the Queenstown Events Centre yesterday...
President's XI bowler Blair Tickner delivers a ball at the Queenstown Events Centre yesterday while Sri Lankan tailender Rangana Herath backs up in the second day of play between the sides. PHOTO: GUY WILLIAMS
Sri Lanka looks as though it is taking a while to get used to playing in the deep South.

It is well behind at the end of the second day of its match against a President's XI in Queenstown yesterday.

The home side looked like it would have a big advantage over the Sri Lankans by mid-afternoon yesterday.

The New Zealand President's XI had managed to dismiss Sri Lanka for 193 in its first innings early on the second day.

Well after tea yesterday, its two openers, Ben Smith and Bharat Popli, had more than 150 on the board and a big lead looked possible.

But the New Zealand side, mainly made up of fledging first-class cricketers who are not automatic selections for their domestic sides, had a stumble and then lost six wickets for just over 40 runs.

Smith and Popli failed to make centuries and the batsmen who had come to the crease did not make the most of the great start the openers had given them.

At stumps last night, the President's XI had recovered somewhat and was on 285 for seven, with a lead of 92 and three wickets in hand.

Shawn Hicks was at the crease unbeaten on 33.

The two openers were in good form and did not have any trouble against the Sri Lankan bowlers, who struggled to keep the scoring down.

Earlier, Canterbury spinner Tim Johnson had taken four wickets as Sri Lanka failed to get to 200.

The visitors could have been in a worse position and were seven wickets down with 132 runs on the board before a partnership between Dimuth Karunaratne and Rangana Herath gave the score some respectability.

Karunaratne was the eighth man out for 93, having scored more than half the runs.

The final day will start this morning and the Sri Lankan batsmen will be looking for some time at the crease.

The side will head to Dunedin tomorrow to prepare for the first test, which starts at the University Oval on Thursday.

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