Low scoring on opening day of National Super League 4-day

Nisala Tharaka and Prabath Jayasuriya during their 82-run liaison for the ninth wicket for Colombo

Galle fast bowler Kavishka Anjula ran through the Dambulla batting taking five wickets

• Jayasuriya saves Colombo the blushes with fighting 50

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Kandy’s Lasith Embuldeniya celebrates a wicket on his way to a five-fer

The opening day of the National Super League 4-day produced moderate scores with Colombo totalling 214 and Dambulla 155 in their respective matches yesterday.

Prabath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s Test left-arm spinner renowned for his bowling scored his fourth first-class 50 and passed 1,000 first-class runs to help Colombo recover from a disastrous 85-6 to post a decent total of 214 against defending champions Kandy at the SSC grounds.

Jayasuriya struck five fours and one six in his 84-ball innings during which time he shared an 82-run stand for the ninth wicket with Nisala Tharaka (38 off 99 balls). The damage to the Colombo innings was done by fast bowler Nimsara Atharagalla (4/62) and Test left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who took his 21st five-fer of his first-class career (5/60).

By stumps Kandy were strongly placed at 96-2 with Test batsman Oshada Fernando (32*) and Sandun Weerakkody (30*) at the wickets. Kandy trail by 118 runs with eight wickets in hand.  

Galle fast bowler Kavisha Anjula ran through the Dambulla batting taking five wickets for 23 runs off 13 overs to dismiss them for 155 in their match played at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Dambulla were unable to put together any noteworthy partnerships, the highest being 43 for the second wicket.

Dambulla hit back to capture three wickets for 59, but that was as far as they got as former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews (22*) and Pasindu Sooriyabandara (16*) saw Galle to the close at 90-3, to trail by 65 runs.

Both matches will continue on its second day today.

FIRST DAY SCORES

• At SSC: 

Colombo 214 (Roshane Silva 21, Nisala Tharaka 38, Prabath Jayasuriya 51, Lasith Embuldeniya 5/60, Nimsara Atharagalla 4/62)

Kandy 96-2 at close (Lasith Croospulle 29, Oshada Fernando 32*, Sandun Weerakkody 30*)

• At R. Premadasa Stadium:

Dambulla 155 (Nimesh Gunasinghe 31, Dilan Jayalath 27, Lasith Abeyratne 24, Chalana de Silva 23, Lakshan Sandakan 26*, Kavishka Anjula 5/23, Asanka Manoj 2/35, Ramesh Mendis 2/11)

Galle 90-3 at close (Hashan Dumindu 37, Angelo Mathews 22*)