It helped set South Africa A up to earn their second successive series triumph on this tour which was crowned here last night with an emphatic seven wickets victory and a 2-0 lead with today's final game all that remains of the tour.
Crookes combined his batting talents with Martin van Jaarsveld's silky strokeplay as the Northerns batsman displayed majestic calm to score a match-winning century and a share in the man of the match award as the A Team whipped up 242 for three to win with 9.5 overs to spare.
Looking for a place in next year's World Cup squad Crookes blasted his way to 50 off only 45 balls with the left-arm spinner Dinuka Hettiarachchi taking the brunt of the assault with 20 runs - five fours off the first over he bowled - with two inside-out drives over extra-cover. Crookes' visit to the crease lasted only 50 balls, but his innings of 60 in a partnership of 97 off only 87 balls was too much for the Lankas to handle.
Van Jaarsveld plundered 15 fours and two sixes in his innings of 121 off 111 balls and with the skipper, Dake Benkenstein, tore the bowling apart in merciless fashion to win the game with Van Jaarsveld's 15th four the winning runs.
On a day which began with blistering heat and oppressive humidity, the heavy clouds which began building mid-afternoon created a new hazard as the spectre of rain or bad light loomed.
Sri Lanka A's innings was a patchy affair with only Avishka Gunawardena reaching the 40s. Indika de Saram, Lanka de Silva and all-rounder Ruchia Palliyagura managed to hit their way into the 30s, but failed to build on their efforts.
Generally the South African A bowling was steady with more fielding lapses than normal, which did not impress the coach, Graham Ford. And Claude Henderson put down two very sharp chances off his own bowling, which spoilt his figures.
Crookes collected four wickets for 50, bowling at the death, and was denied a possible fifth when an lbw shout was turned down with the lucky recipient, De Silva laughing when given not out.
As it is the ground where Jonty Rhodes scored the first of his two Test centuries to rescue South Africa five years ago is now a derelict wreck. It lacked atmosphere in 1995 when Gerry Liebenberg massacred the Sri Lanka bowling when scoring 170 during the under-24 tour and nothing has changed. If anything it has become worse.
Little wonder the ICC have removed the venue from their list of Test grounds. The sight screens are in need of a coat of paint, the changerooms an embarrassment, and not for the first time on this tour the South African management had to buy the team's cool drinks.
To make matters less palatable, the umpiring levels which caused such drama in Kurunegala returned. One of them, D A S Dissanayke, who Bob Woolmer, the coach of the Under-24s, remembers well for the lbw decision count for and against, was up to his usual tricks.
He gave a wide ball call against Dale Benkenstein when his Sri Lanka A opposite, Dulip Samaraweera, thick edged a catch to Nic Pothas. And mystery surrounds the reason for turning down an lbw decision against Gunawardena.
What pleasure such incompetent umpires get from standing in such matches only they can answer. So strict on South Africa A when calling wides, he was laughably lenient when Lanka A were bowling.