Champs Dambulla survive Colombo scare to draw match

Sonal Dinusha rescued Dambulla with his maiden first-class hundred 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

• Jaffna thrash Kandy in NSL 4-day tournament

Spinner Shashika Dulshan (6/99) spun Jaffna to victory against Kandy

Ahan Wickramasinghe scored a valiant unbeaten century for Kandy

Former Mahanama College and Sri Lanka Under19 cricketer Sonal Dinusha scored his maiden first-class century to save defending champions Dambulla from defeat against Colombo on the final day of their National Super League 4-day match played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The match eventually ended in a draw with Dambulla by virtue of their first innings lead of 57 runs taking the points, but what a fight back Colombo staged in the Dambulla second innings. They reduced Dambulla to 58-6, an overall lead of 115, before Dinusha with the tail put up staunch resistance to deny Colombo the win.

Akila Dananjaya (20) helped Dinusha add 36 valuable runs for the seventh wicket and a further 50 runs stand followed for the eighth wicket between Dinusha and Lakshan Sandakan (26). Vishwa Fernando (11* off 51 balls) revived memories of his famous unbroken last wicket partnership of 78 with Kusal Perera that brought Sri Lanka a famous one-wicket win against South Africa at Durban in 2019, when he helped Dinusha to his maiden century which was scored off 160 balls with 11 fours. Dambulla finished on 210-8. Prabath Jayasuriya and Kasun Rajitha were the pick of the Colombo bowlers with three wickets apiece. Earlier, Colombo resuming their first innings at 388-7 were all out for 445 in reply to Dambulla’s first innings total of 530.

At the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota, spinners Shashika Dulshan (6/99) and Ravindu Fernando (3/77) spun Jaffna to a comprehensive 164 runs win over Kandy.

Chasing a tall target of 394 for victory, Kandy folded up for 229 in their second innings despite a valiant unbeaten century from Ahan Wickramasinghe who scored a 116 off 86 balls, inclusive of 11 fours and five sixes. While Wickramasinghe blazed away at one end, the Jaffna spinners picked out the rest of the batting from the other.

RESULTS:

At Hambantota: Jaffna beat Kandy by 164 runs.

Jaffna 346 and 234;



Kandy 185 and 229 (o/n 47-2) (Lahiru Udara 25, Kamil Mishara 33, Ahan Wickramasinghe 116*, Ashian Daniel 24, Shashika Dulshan 6/99, Ravindu Fernando 3/77)



At Pallekele: Match Drawn. (Dambulla take first innings points)

Dambulla 530 and 210-8 (Sonal Dinusha 100*, Akila Dananjaya 20, Lakshan Sandakan 26, Kasun Rajitha 3/29, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/38)

Colombo 445 (o/n 388-7) (Dimuth Karunaratne 161, Shevon Daniel 23, Kusal Mendis 80, Nuwanidu Fernando 39, Pathum Kumara 39, Prabath Jayasuriya 21, Isitha Wijesundara 21, Asitha Fernando 2/90, Vishwa Fernando 2/80, Akila Dananjaya 3/159)