A double hundred from Nishan Madushka dazzled the crowd at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Day Three of Kent’s tour match against Sri Lanka Development XI.
Maduska and Laseeth Croospulle picked up where they had left off at the start of Day Three, and reached their 200 partnership in the seventh over of the day – Croospulle still a few runs short of his century.
On 99, Croospulle attempted a flamboyant leg glace to be hit outside the line by Podmore, but would bring up three figures two overs later with a push into the off-side for a single.
At 12:30, Madushka bought up his 150 off Hamid Qadri, and would back up reaching the milestone by hitting Qadri into the offside for four.
Agonisingly for Kent, Madushka was dropped at slip in the three balls later, and was then put down again off Jas Singh’s next over from the Nackington Road End.
Singh would be the Kent bowler to end the partnership that had put on 294 runs – Croospulle attempted another aesthetically pleasing lofted on-drive but mistimed for Max Luckett to take the catch at mid-on.
New batter Nuwanidu Fernando looked to assert himself quickly at the middle, and helped build up a quick 50 partnership after only facing 34 deliveries himself – despite Joe Denly coming on to bowl his leg-breaks in his 158th first-class appearance – surpassing the 157 Kent first-class matches played by Lord Harris.
The new ball was taken by Harry Podmore at 14:10, but Fernando bought up his half century in 69 deliveries half an hour later – putting on another impressive partnership for the visitors.
Madushka made the first double century of his burgeoning first-class career by emphatically cutting George Linde to the rope for four, well surpassing his previous best of 169 for Ragama against Tamil Union in 2020.
The 22-year-old’s batting partner Fernando was also searching for three figures when was bowled by George Linde, agonizingly on 99 chopping on, to signal the Tea break.
19-year-old Dartford native Max Luckett picked up his maiden first-class wicket as Dhananjaya Lakshan tried to play off his legs but couldn’t the pace of the delivery to turn round and see his leg and middle stumps uprooted.
Marcus O’Riordan would find Ashen Bandara’s edge for Tawanda Muyeye to reel in for 9, as Madushka looked for a steady batting partner – bringing up his 250 from 366 deliveries at 17:15.
But it was the double centurion that would fall with only 2.2 overs left in the day – pushing at a George Linde left-arm delivery for Billy Mead to take the catch behind.
He had made 269 in 392 deliveries with 37 fours and two sixes – and received a richly deserved standing ovation from everyone at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence as he left the field.
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