Jaffna and Kandy qualify for final

Sri Lanka fast bowler Asitha Fernando bowled Kandy to a first-innings lead against Galle with four wickets

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Jaffna and Kandy qualified to play in the final of the National Super League 4-day cricket tournament when they won their respective semi-final matches.

Jaffna beat Colombo by nine wickets while Jaffna got the better of Galle in their game snatching the vital first-innings lead in a drawn game.

Jaffna and Kandy will meet in the final starting on 7 April at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

Jaffna led by Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva completed a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Colombo in their semi-final played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.

When play resumed yesterday after a rest day on Sunday due to the island-wide curfew, Jaffna required 67 runs to reach their target of 92. Jaffna’s opening pair Navod Paranavithana and Nishan Madushka knocked off 73 of them before Madushka was dismissed for 32. Paranavithana however continued his innings completing a half-century to remain 59 (84 balls, 9 fours) when victory was achieved in 23 overs. 

Galle fell well short of Kandy’s first innings total of 458 being dismissed for 354 to concede a first-innings lead which was enough for Kandy to qualify for the final in their semi-final which ended in a draw at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

Galle resumed on a promising note at 147-1 and required a further 312 runs on the fourth and final day to overhaul Kandy’s first innings total. 

Good contributions from the top order saw them reach 273-3 with Pabasara Waduge contributing a solid 78 off 171 balls (6 fours), Hashan Dumindu 74 off 142 balls (5 fours), and Dhananjaya Lakshan, a rapid 60 off 57 balls (8 fours, 1 six). Dumindu and Lakshan were involved in a century stand for the fourth wicket. 

However, both batsmen fell at the score of 273 which proved a setback to Galle’s chances of surpassing Kandy’s total.

Suminda Lakshan (22) and Kavishka Anjula (31) took the score to 324, but from there onwards, Galle could not make much headway as they lost their last five wickets for 30 runs. Sri Lanka pacie Asitha Fernando (4/69) and off-spinner Ashian Daniel (3/86) put the brakes on the Galle batting.

Two former Sri Lanka captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal could not make much headway with the bat for Galle. 

Mathews made his first appearance in the tournament and was dismissed for a golden duck when he edged a catch behind the wicket to Niroshan Dickwella off Asitha Fernando and Chandimal was forced to retire hurt with his score on two when he was rapped on the right thumb by a delivery from Asitha Fernando. X-rays showed no fracture.

In the remaining time, Kandy made use of it to gain some valuable batting practice scoring 155-4 with Kamil Mishara striking a half-century off 108 balls (5 fours) and skipper Kamindu Mendis once more showing the form he is in at the moment by scoring a productive 42 off 53 balls (4 fours) to carry his aggregate in the tournament to a staggering 799 runs from 10 innings.

Semi-Final Results:

nAt Pallekele: Match Drawn. (Kandy wins on first inns).

Kandy 458 and 155-4 (Kamil Mishara 63, Kamindu Mendis 42, Lahiru Udara 32, Akila Dananjaya 2/67)  

Galle 354 (o/n 147-1) (Sangeeth Cooray 44, Pabasara Waduge 78, Hashan Dumindu 74, Dhananjaya Lakshan 60, Suminda Lakshan 22, Kavishka Anjula 31, Asitha Fernando 4/69, Ashian Daniel 3/86)

nAt Hambantota: Jaffna beat Colombo by nine wickets.

Colombo 272 and 158;

Jaffna 339 and 95-1 (o/n 25-0) (Navod Paranavithana 59, Nishan Madushka 32)