Sri Lanka started their English tour with a bang by winning a three-day tour match against Middlesex by a margin of three wickets.
Andrew Strauss, Captain of the England cricket side also took part in the game while representing Middlesexand shown his presence by dispatching 151 runs. Middlesex scored 360 runs when they lost eight wickets and declared the innings.
Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, and, Chanaka Welegedara were the top wicket takers from Sri Lanka by taking two wickets each, as Farveez Maharoof and Suranga Lakmal shared one wicket each.
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavitana thrashed centuries as the Middlesex bowlers looked helpless and were unable to take a single wicket in the first innings. Both of them retired out to ensure some batting practice to the later batsmen.
Dilshan and Paranavitana remained unbeaten on 123 and 103 respectively when Sri Lanka declared the innings after scoring 309 runs.
Middlesex lost their first wicket for just five runs in their second innings when Sam Robson was clean bowled for a duck. The second wicket partnership between Strauss and Dan Housego added 33 runs and Strauss was the third batsman to go back after scoring 25 runs, with the total at 43 runs.
Their skipper, Dawid Malan, gave some resistance and fought back in the middle order when no batsman could give a solid stand at the other end. He was the fifth batsman, who went back to the dressing room after contributing 34 runs, which was the highest score in the second innings.
Anthony Ireland scored 22 runs in the late order when the whole team was bowled out at 161 runs in 48.5 overs.
Welegedara, and Mendis shared three wickets each for Sri Lanka, Lakmal took two wickets, Maharoof, and, Hearath claimed one wicket each.
Sri Lanka required 213 runs in their second innings to win the match but lost the first wicket at five runs when Prasanna Jayawardene was run out after scoring five runs.
Lahiru Thirimanne was joined by Thilan Samaraweera and the pair added 55 runs for the second wicket as Thirimanne went back to the pavilion after scoring 33 runs.
Dinesh Chandimal came to the crease and stabilised the innings with Samaraweera and led the score to 105 runs before the latter was dismissed for 49 runs.
The middle order batsmen contributed twenties and thirties and kept on contributing in little partnerships. They achieved the target by scoring 216 runs for the loss of six wickets in 44 overs.
Jamie Dalrymple and Tom Smith managed two wickets each from Middlesex, Ireland clinched one wicket.
Sri Lanka won the opening match of their tour convincingly by four wickets, which will boost their confidence in the rest of the matches including the series against England.
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