Kandy pile on the runs against hapless Dambulla

 Kandy’s Oshada Fernando missed out on his third century of the tournament by three runs against Dambulla.

National Super League four-day tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Kamil Mishara, Oshada Fernando, and inform skipper Kamindu Mendis struck contrasting half-centuries as Kandy piled on the runs against the bottom of the table Dambulla on the opening day of their National Super League four-

Galle’s leg-spinner Suminda Lakshan caused a Jaffna  collapse with four late wickets

day tournament match played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Winning the toss and taking the first lease of the wicket Kandy finished on 297-3 with bad light ending play with 13 overs remaining to be bowled.

Openers Mishara and Lasith Croospulle posted 58 off 11.2 overs of which Croospulle’s contribution was an aggressive 43 off 42 balls (seven fours). Fernando joined Mishara and the pair went on to add a further 147 for the second wicket.

 Mishara was dismissed for 74 off 150 balls (seven fours), but Fernando who has already scored two centuries in the tournament missed out on a third by three runs when he offered a catch at 97. 

He had seven fours and a six in his 135-ball innings and if he continues in this vein the selectors will have to seriously consider him for Sri Lanka’s next Test series against Bangladesh in May. 

Fernando has held the number three slot for Sri Lanka in Tests until a series of low dismissals saw him being overlooked for the recently concluded Test series against India.

Most ominous for Dambulla is that Kandy captain Mendis is still at the crease having completed a refined half-century off 96 balls (five fours). 

Mendis has made three centuries in each of the matches Kandy has played so far and a fourth is within his sights when play resumes today against a weak Dambulla bowling attack where former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara has looked the only bowler to pose a threat having captured two of the three wickets to fall.

Galle’s leg-spinner Suminda Lakshan had Jaffna in a spin capturing four wickets for 17 runs in a late spell of six overs that saw four wickets tumble in the final hour’s play for 38 runs on the first day of their match played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.

Jaffna had moved to 180-5 at the end of the 66 over when Lakshan was introduced into the attack and of his first three deliveries, he sent back Avishka Tharindu for 18 and Ishan Jayaratne for a duck. Tharindu, the leading run-getter in the Major Club Emerging three-day tournament for Ragama CC was playing his first match for Jaffna. 

Further chaos was to follow when Lakshan accounted for Santhush Gunathilaka in his second over and Shashika Dulshan in his fourth as Jaffna finished the day on 218-9 after being invited to bat first. Bad light brought an early finish to the day with 13 overs to be bowled. Jaffna’s top-order batsmen all got starts but none went on to make a big score. The match continues on its second day today.  

Day One Scores:

At Pallekele: Kandy 297-3 at close (Mishara 74, Croospulle 43, Fernando 97, Mendis 51*, Lahiru Udara 22*, Pushpakumara 2/80) v Dambulla

At Hambantota: Jaffna 218-9 at close (Nishan Madushka 29, Navod Paranavithana 34, Saminda Fernando 27, Gunathilaka 28, Dilshan Madushanka 2/42, Chalana de Silva 2/72, Lakshan 4/17) v Galle