Sri Lanka moved into a strong position on the second day of their three-day practice match against the PCB Patron's XI, establishing an overall lead of 193 runs by the close of play at the Islamabad Club on Thursday.
The visitors reached 121-6 in their second innings when stumps were called. Milan Ratnayake anchored the innings and remained unbeaten on 27, with Kesara Nuwantha yet to get off the mark at the other end.
The PCB Patron's XI bowling attack fought back during the final session, with Shoaib Akhtar Jr. leading the effort by claiming three wickets. Ubaid Shah and Saqib Khan also contributed by taking one wicket each to keep the hosts in the contest.
Earlier in the day, the PCB Patron's XI resumed their first innings from an overnight score of 43-2. The side eventually declared at 151-8, falling 72 runs short of Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 223-7.
Azan Awais provided the backbone for the home side's first innings, top-scoring with 50 runs. Further resistance came from Tayyab Arif, who contributed 30, and Muhammad Taha, who added 29 to the total before the declaration.
This practice match serves as a vital preparation period for the touring Sri Lankan squad as they acclimatize to local conditions. The fixture provides the PCB Patron's XI players an opportunity to test themselves against international opposition.
The match concludes on Friday, with Sri Lanka looking to set a challenging target for the hosts before declaring their second innings to allow for a final day of bowling practice.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 223-7 (dec) and 121-6 (Ratnayake 27*; Shoaib Jr. 3-x) lead PCB Patron's XI 151-8 (dec) (Awais 50, Arif 30) by 193 runs.
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