Captain James Taylor pressed his claims for a place in the senior England side with a second century in three games as the Lions clinched a series win over Sri Lanka A with a 135-run win.
Taylor made a superb 111 off 132 balls as the Lions recovered from 38 for three to post 282 for nine with Durham's Ben Stokes doing his chances of a call-up to the one-day squad no harm by crashing 73 off 65 deliveries and Tharanga Laksitha taking three for 49.
The Sri Lankans never recovered from a shocking start as they collapsed to 147 all out with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow taking four catches and two stumpings.
Sri Lanka A won the toss but chose to make the England Lions bat first and Laksitha sent Chris Nash's off stump tumbling in the third over.
Laksitha then accounted for Alex Hales by crashing his searing delivery into the stumps and he had his third victim when Joe Root (12) edged behind to wicketkeeper Kushal Perera.
Durham's Stokes then hammered a half-century off just 45 balls before he eventually holed out by smashing Seekkuge Prasanna to Lahiru Thirimanne at long off.
Bairstow went cheaply by launching Sajeewa Weerakoon to Bhanuka Rajapaksa at long on.
Chris Woakes fell on 13 when he missed his attempted reverse sweep and was bowled by Weerakoon before Taylor reached 50 off 91 balls.
James Harris made 29 before being run out by bowler Weerakoon before Stuart Meaker smashed the same man to Thirimanne at long on.
Taylor then completed his fifth one-day ton off 128 balls before finally departing in the final over by hammering Kosala Kulasekara to Kanishka Alvitigala at deep mid-wicket.
Chasing 283, the Sri Lankans lost Malinda Warnapura with just the fourth ball when he was caught behind by Bairstow off Harris.
Thirimanne also went for a duck when Woakes forced him to edge to Bairstow, who also snared Rajapaksa off Harris to reduce the tourists to seven for three inside three overs.
Sachithra Serasinghe tried to recover the situation in plundering 35 but he was caught and bowled by Boyd Rankin.
Perera then lasted for only two balls before edging Rankin to Bairstow before Kulasekara threw his wicket away by hoisting Meaker to Taylor at mid-on.
Bairstow then stumped Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 30 and Weerakoon, both off Lancashire slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan.
Alvitigala blasted 34 off 27 balls before launching Kerrigan to Stokes at long on and it was all over when Chris Nash took Prasanna (20) at extra cover off Woakes.
more..
Taylor made a superb 111 off 132 balls as the Lions recovered from 38 for three to post 282 for nine with Durham's Ben Stokes doing his chances of a call-up to the one-day squad no harm by crashing 73 off 65 deliveries and Tharanga Laksitha taking three for 49.
The Sri Lankans never recovered from a shocking start as they collapsed to 147 all out with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow taking four catches and two stumpings.
Sri Lanka A won the toss but chose to make the England Lions bat first and Laksitha sent Chris Nash's off stump tumbling in the third over.
Laksitha then accounted for Alex Hales by crashing his searing delivery into the stumps and he had his third victim when Joe Root (12) edged behind to wicketkeeper Kushal Perera.
Durham's Stokes then hammered a half-century off just 45 balls before he eventually holed out by smashing Seekkuge Prasanna to Lahiru Thirimanne at long off.
Bairstow went cheaply by launching Sajeewa Weerakoon to Bhanuka Rajapaksa at long on.
Chris Woakes fell on 13 when he missed his attempted reverse sweep and was bowled by Weerakoon before Taylor reached 50 off 91 balls.
James Harris made 29 before being run out by bowler Weerakoon before Stuart Meaker smashed the same man to Thirimanne at long on.
Taylor then completed his fifth one-day ton off 128 balls before finally departing in the final over by hammering Kosala Kulasekara to Kanishka Alvitigala at deep mid-wicket.
Chasing 283, the Sri Lankans lost Malinda Warnapura with just the fourth ball when he was caught behind by Bairstow off Harris.
Thirimanne also went for a duck when Woakes forced him to edge to Bairstow, who also snared Rajapaksa off Harris to reduce the tourists to seven for three inside three overs.
Sachithra Serasinghe tried to recover the situation in plundering 35 but he was caught and bowled by Boyd Rankin.
Perera then lasted for only two balls before edging Rankin to Bairstow before Kulasekara threw his wicket away by hoisting Meaker to Taylor at mid-on.
Bairstow then stumped Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne for 30 and Weerakoon, both off Lancashire slow left-armer Simon Kerrigan.
Alvitigala blasted 34 off 27 balls before launching Kerrigan to Stokes at long on and it was all over when Chris Nash took Prasanna (20) at extra cover off Woakes.
more..