Double ton Asalanka leads Colombo to victory over Jaffna

• Lankan players warm up for West Indies series
• Avishka Fernando scores 126
• Venue for T20I series Dambulla produces 734 runs

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka’s white-ball Captain Charith Asalanka scored his maiden double century in any format of the game to lead Colombo to a comprehensive 92-run win over Jaffna in the National Super League Limited Over final played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Asalanka and Avishka Fernando, who also scored a hundred, made full use of the final to get some runs under their belts ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, which starts on Sunday next week at the same venue.

Dambulla lived up to its reputation of producing true and good surfaces, as Colombo winning the toss and choosing to bat first rattled up an imposing 413-6. Jaffna, in reply, scored 321, taking the match aggregate to 734 runs.

The feature of the final was the double century of Asalanka and the 262-run partnership he shared with Avishka Fernando who returned to timely form ahead of the white-ball series against West Indies, with a stroke-filled 126 off 113 balls studded with 10 fours and 6 sixes. The two came together after Jaffna had pushed Colombo onto the back foot by capturing two early wickets of the two Kusals – Perera (0) and Mendis (1) – to have them at 4-2 in the third over.

Till the 37th over, the partnership between Fernando and Asalanka flourished. Asalanka went on to complete a brilliant double century off 140 balls with a four off Lahiru Madushanka. He followed it up with a six. But trying to accelerate the scoring he fell to a catch off the same bowler for 206, scored off 142 balls inclusive of 12 fours and 16 sixes, one six short of equalling the ODI world record of 17 by England’s Eoin Morgan.

Although Colombo lost wickets in a flurry, former Captain Dasun Shanaka made use of the opportunity to slam a quick-fire 39* off 18 balls (2 fours, 4 sixes) to carry Colombo past the 400-run mark.

Sri Lanka seamer Matheesha Pathirana took two wickets but went for plenty, conceding 85 runs in eight overs which included 8 fours and 6 sixes. Madushanka, who also took two wickets, suffered the same fate, being hit for 6 sixes. In total, Colombo slammed the Jaffna bowlers for 27 sixes.

Commencing their innings with an asking rate of over eight an over, Jaffna’s innings never got going, losing the first three wickets for 78 in 12 overs. Ron Chandraguptha contributed a 53-ball 56 with 10 fours, Mohammed Shamaaz 49 off 39 balls (5 fours, 1 six), and Lahiru Madushanka a valiant century (104 off 86 balls, 10 fours, 4 sixes) – his first in this format, but the required rate kept increasing to gigantic proportions so that when Jaffna were dismissed, they were still 93 runs short. 

Scores: Colombo 413-6 (50) (Avishka Fernando 126, Charith Asalanka 206, Nuwanidu Fernando 20, Dasun Shanaka 39*, Matheesha Pathirana 2/85, Lahiru Madushanka 2/77)

Jaffna 321 (47.1) (Ron Chandraguptha 56, Mohammed Shamaaz 49, Lahiru Madushanka 104, Ranmith Jayasena 22, Nuwan Thushara 2/62, Dilum Sudeera 3/53, Dasun Shanaka 2/67, Charith Asalanka 2/51)