Former Sri Lanka allrounder Chaminda Vaas came up with yet another scintillating performance for his adopted county Northamptonshire when he captured five wickets and then came with a knock of 96 against Essex at Northampton.
Essex batting first made 433 in their inning with A. Cook and J. Mickleburgh scoring centuries. Vaas finished with 5 for 76.
In reply to the Essex total Northamptonshire declared their inning at 538 for 9 with S. peters scoring 105 , while Chaminda Vaas and Neil O’Brien making identical scores of 96 a piece. Vaas’ knock contained a six and twelve fours.
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| Chaminda Vaas in action on Friday. |
Vaas was once again in action early yesterday when he accounted for the wicket of present England opener Alastair Cook who made a century in the first innings for 28 as Essex were at 70 for 2 just before lunch.
At Liverpool another ignored Lankan – Farveez Maharoof scored 102 for Lancashire helping them to beat Somerset,by an innings and 20 runs.
The English newspaper Telegraph commenting on Maharoof’s innings said “Back home in Sri Lanka, Maharoof plies his trade for the Nondescripts club.
There was nothing nondescript, however, about his contribution to Lancashire’s overwhelming victory on his first appearance as the Red Rose overseas player.
Maharoof, 26, with 20 Tests and 94 one-day internationals on his CV, has signed a cut-price deal, not least, it is reported, because he has “something to prove” to his national selectors.
And the man who has already been dubbed The Roof by his new team-mates prompted around 1,600 fans to raise the roof when he became only the third Lancashire player to score a century on his Championship debut and the first to do so against Somerset here for 100 years.
Maharoof, 49 not out overnight, reached three figures from 131 balls and was particularly brutal on his compatriot Ajantha Mendis, thumping the leg-spinner for a six and seven of his 14 fours.
Northampton:
Essex 433 (Alastair Cook 155, J Mickleburgh 112, J Foster 64, Chaminda Vaas 5-76) and 70 for 2 (Chaminda Vaas 1 for 24) v Northamptonshire 538-9 dec (S Peters 105, C Vaas 96, N O'Brien 96, A Wakely 58)
At Liverpool
Lancashire beat Somerset by an innings and 20 runs
Somerset 268 (N Compton 61, J Hildreth 55, C Kieswetter 53) and 163 v Lancashire 451 (F Maharoof 102, T Smith 89, S Moore 73, G Cross 50, S Kirby 6-115) |
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