Essex stop Sri Lanka in warm-up

Tour match, Chelmsford: Essex 174-4 beat Sri Lanka 172 by six wickets

Match scorecard

Jahid Ahmed took 4-32 in his first one-day game for Essex

Essex beat Sri Lanka by six wickets as the tourists' warm-up for the one-day series against England did not go according to plan at Chelmsford.

Fast bowler Jahid Ahmed, on his debut in Essex's one-day side, took 4-32 while all-rounder Ravi Bopara took 3-23 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 172.

Mark Pettini (69) and Ryan ten Doeschate (63no) won in the 38th over.

Sri Lanka rested Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

And the batting absentees were certainly felt as they collapsed from 48-0 to 77-6.

Prasanna Jayawardene is watched by Essex stumper Foster

Stand-in wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene (46) and Jehan Mubarak (28) added 72 but they were all out in the 44th over.

Sanath Jayasuriya had given them a decent start.

But he fell for 30 having hit two fours and the only six of the innings to give Ahmed, aged 20, his first strike.

It was also the first catch for wicket-keeper James Foster, an excellent effort diving to his left.

Foster took two other catches and also made a smart stumping.

Pettini ensured Essex's reply was always in order, despite the failures of three other top-order batsmen.

He scored his runs off just 71 balls, striking 10 boundaries.

We had a strong batting line-up but in fact it looked a poor batting side Tom Moody Sri Lanka coach

When he was out, Ten Doeschate and Foster produced a decisive 52-run stand.

Most of the Sri Lanka bowlers were reasonably economical but they were defending an inadequate total and were powerless to stop Essex's victory.

Sri Lanka's coach Tom Moody said: "Possibly there was a bit of complacency and lack of concentration and perhaps we didn't learn too much about our squad for the forthcoming series.

"Coming off the high at Trent Bridge, it would have been nice to have continued the positive momentum from that match.

"We had the perfect scene for a one-day game here at Chelmsford but it didn't happen for us.

"We had a strong batting line-up but in fact it looked a poor batting side because people waited for others to take responsibility."

Essex, who won the toss, were without captain Ronnie Irani, leading batsman Andy Flower and New Zealander Andre Adams.