National Super League 4-day tournament

Kandy pair Kamindu Mendis and Sahan Arachchige, the two leading run-getters in the tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Kandy having got past their main rivals Jaffna will have Colombo to contend with this weekend when they meet at the R. Premadasa Stadium in the National Super League 4-day tournament.

Colombo lifted themselves to second spot in the league standings with the only win in the tournament so far beating Dambulla inside three days by an innings and 132 runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium last weekend.

Like in the NSL Limited Overs the top four teams in the league will qualify to play in the semi-finals and then the final.

Dambulla finished at the bottom of the NSL Limited Overs tournament standings and failed to qualify for the knockouts and at present find themselves in a similar position in the league tournament as well, although they have played only one match so far.

The two matches Kandy has played has ended in high scoring draws with Kandy having the better of exchanges against Galle and against Jaffna, which sees them perched on top of the table with 24.765 points.

Colombo’s win over Dambulla has brought them within two points of Kandy and that is why the upcoming fixture between the two sides is crucial.

Jaffna although in third place with 15.685 points have the knack of lifting their game when it counts as they showed in the NSL Limited Over final against Kandy. They are a dangerous side and should easily finish within the top four and qualify for the knockouts.

Galle and Dambulla are languishing at the bottom of the table at the moment having played just one game each. In the coming weekends they should do well to lift themselves from their current positions to be in contention for a place in the last four.

Much of Kandy’s high scoring has been due to their Captain Kamindu Mendis and middle-order bat Sahan Arachchige who have both made over 300 plus runs in the tournament so far and are the leading run getters. Mendis has been leading Kandy from the front with back-to-back hundreds and a 50 in the four innings he has played so far accumulating 327 runs (avg. 81.75) while Arachchige hit a career best 162 last weekend against Jaffna to raise his aggregate to 305 (avg. 101.66). Kandy also has National Test cap Oshada Fernando (211 runs) and Lahiru Udara (208 runs) in top form with the bat in the top six of the batting averages.

Jaffna’s leading run scorer is Saminda Fernando with 243 runs (avg. 81.00) and for Colombo, National Test cap Roshen Silva with an innings of 174* leads the way with 231 runs (avg. 231.00). 

The four matches played so far have all been high scoring affairs which has resulted in the bowlers being at the receiving end.

Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya from Colombo has taken the most wickets with 11 but he has gone at an average of 29.63 per wicket. The next highest wicket-taker Avindu Theekshana who bowls left-arm leg-spin averages 35 for his seven wickets for Kandy. Colombo’s off spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe and left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage of Jaffna have six wickets apiece but have contrasting averages – Manasinghe sporting a healthy 19.33 and Wellalage the Sri Lanka U19 World Cup Captain an expensive 45.33.