Galle tailenders shut door on Colombo

Jaffna pair Niroshan Dickwella and Janith Liyanage during their 126-run liaison for the fifth wicket

• Lightning stops play at Dambulla
• Fourth National Super League tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Defending champions Galle displayed their fighting qualities when tailenders Nisala Tharaka (76 off 159 balls, 8 fours) and Dilum Sudeera (66* off 118 balls, 7 fours) produced a stubborn stand of 114 for the ninth wicket that saw them recover from their overnight total of 265-7 to post an impressive 435 all out on the second day of their National Super League 4-day match played at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Much was expected from skipper Ramesh Mendis who resumed with his score on 56. But he got out to his off-spinning colleague in the national team Nishan Peiris for 72 (188 balls, 3 fours) to make Galle 300-8. From there onwards Tharaka and Sudeera took charge of proceedings. With that late recovery Galle have more or less shut the door on Colombo sneaking out an outright victory and have secured themselves a place in the final, ensuring they finish within the top two in the final standings.

Colombo who need to beat Galle outright to have any chance of making it to the final have a tall task ahead of them. They finished the day on 85-1 with lightning forcing an early stoppage to play with 19.5 overs remaining to be bowled for the day.

Colombo’s fight back was led by all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan who followed his maiden five-fer in first-class cricket (5/99) with an aggressive half-century (53* off 49 balls, 8 fours). Lakshan and Avishka Fernando (28*) added 85 for the second wicket after opener Asitha Waninayake had fallen lbw to Nisala Tharaka for a second ball duck. Colombo trail by 350 runs and with only two days remaining and the weather not at its best, the chances of Colombo pulling off a win becomes rather remote.

Nisala Tharaka batting during his innings of 76 for Galle

When play began on the second day at Pallekele Cricket Stadium yesterday, spinner Akila Dananjaya snapped up the wickets of both overnight batsmen Angelo Mathews for 64 after the batsman had added only one run to his total, and centurion Ravindu Rasantha for 120 (229 balls, 13 fours) within the first hour’s play to reduce Jaffna to 234-4.

But skipper Janith Liyanage (79* off 102 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) and Niroshan Dickwella (70 off 64 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) stitched together another useful partnership of 126 for the fifth wicket to enable Jaffna go past the 400-run mark.

Dananjaya, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament ended up taking 3/164 off 40 overs and 22-year-old left-arm seamer from Middeniya, a village in the Hambantota district Dulaj Samuditha picked up 3/88.

Dambulla’s reply was cut short after 10 overs by bad light that robbed 41 overs of play for the day. Showing positive intent Dambulla finished on 54-1 to trail by 364 runs.

Both matches will continue on the third day today.

Day Two  scores

nAt Pallekele: Jaffna 418 (o/n 206-2) (Ravindu Rasantha 120, Thanuka Dabare 33, Angelo Mathews 64, Janith Liyanage 79*, Niroshan Dickwella 70, Dulaj Samuditha 3/88, Akila Dananjaya 3/164)

Dambulla 54-1 at close (Nishan Madushka 23*, Ron Chandraguptha 20)

nAt Dambulla: Galle 435 (o/n 265-7) (Dinesh Chandimal 132, Dunith Wellalage 21, Ramesh Mendis 72, Nisala Tharaka 76, Dilum Sudeera 66*, Dhananjaya Lakshan 5/99)

Colombo 85-1 at close (Avishka Fernando 28*, Dhananjaya Lakshan 53*)

Galle’s Dilum Sudeera acknowledges his half-century

Colombo’s Dhananjaya Lakshan celebrates his maiden five-wicket haul