Jaffna takes on Kandy today

Jaffna’s match winner v Galle - Ravindu Fernando (46 and 2/14) receives his Player of the Match award from Match Referee Wendell Labrooy

Ashan Priyanjan (50* and 1/17), match winner for Dambulla v Colombo, receives his Player of the Match award from Match Referee Graeme Labrooy

• Repeat of last year’s NSL 50-over final

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Defending champions Jaffna and losing finalist Kandy will meet each other in a repeat of last year’s final in a first round league match of the National Super League 50-over cricket tournament at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium today. The other game scheduled for decision today is between Dambulla and Galle at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium.

The tournament commenced on Saturday with reigning champions Jaffna and Dambulla recording facile wins by 55 runs (D/L method) over Galle and by four wickets against Colombo respectively.

Kandy led by talented batting all-rounder Sahan Arachchige, comes out for the first time and will be looking to repeat their form of last year that saw them top the league table with six wins from eight matches. They will somewhat want to put aside their defeat at the hands of Galle in the NSL four-day league semi-finals and make a winning start to the tournament.

Jaffna hit their straps from the very first game itself defending their moderate total of 233 by keeping Galle down to 171-9 to win on the D/L method after rain had interrupted proceedings. Under the guidance of skipper Sadeera Samara-wickrama they will want to continue with their winning ways and dominate the tournament right from the beginning.

Dambulla who won the NSL four-day league under the captaincy of Minod Bhanuka started off well with a win over Colombo and will be looking to extend that run further against Galle. On Sri Lanka’s former Under-19 World Cup skipper Dunith Wellalage’s young shoulders have fallen the task of leading the Galle team, who will be trying to make amends for their defeat in their opening fixture against Jaffna.

Colombo led by national white ball captain Dasun Shanaka, have a free day today.

All five participating teams will play each other twice on a round robin basis with the top two sides going through to play in the final scheduled for 6 April at the R. Premadasa Stadium under lights. The 20 round robin league matches are all day games.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera has tweeted that he is ready to play for Kandy from next week after undergoing surgery on a troubled left ankle.

“I have almost recovered from the surgery and have not been injured again. I started training and look forward to play one-day matches again after next week for the Kandy team in the NSL 50-over tournament,” tweeted Chameera.

With many of the national cricketers in New Zealand, it gives an opportunity for those players on the fringe of gaining national selection to get some runs and wickets under their belts and catch the eye of the selectors who are currently weighing the pros and cons of picking a suitable squad for the 50-over World Cup in India in October.