Sunday Nov 10, 2024
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Sunday Nov 10, 2024
Saturday, 9 April 2022 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
National Test cap Oshada Fernando scored his fourth century of the tournament and skipper Kamindu Mendis missed his fifth by 13 runs as Kandy built up a first innings total of 444 on the second day of the National Super League four-day final at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
The overnight pair carried their third wicket partnership to worth 188 before both perished to the left-arm spin of Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne, whose exceptional bowling talent has placed Tamil Union in the final of the Major Club Emerging three-day tournament.
Thilakaratne first had Fernando caught for a well-constructed innings of 109 scored off 154 balls (12 fours, 1 six) and after Lahiru Udara was dismissed cheaply for two by Jaffna captain Dhananjaya de Silva, took the prize wicket of Kandy captain Mendis who edged a catch behind the wicket to Sadeera Samarawickrama. Mendis who has been in stupendous form made a compact 87 off 167 balls (7 fours) carrying his aggregate in the tournament to 886.
Niroshan Dickwella and Pulina Tharanga resisted with 32 and 43 respectively to push the total beyond the 400-run mark which on the Galle pitch looks quite a challengeable one for Jaffna.
The one worry for Jaffna will be that all ten Kandy wickets were taken by their spinners De Silva, Thilakaratne, Dunith Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay which gives an idea of how the pitch is playing.
The task ahead of Jaffna is not easy as they found out for themselves when Lasith Embuldeniya who opened the bowling snared their opening batsman Navod Paranavithana for 13 before rain at the tea break brought an end to the days play with Jaffna on 42-1, trailing Kandy by 402 runs.
The match continues on its third day today.
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