National Super League Limited Overs Tournament  Dambulla break the shackles to record first win 

Dambulla finally broke the shackles to record their first win in six matches in the ongoing National Super League Limited Overs Tournament beating Galle by five wickets in the matches concluded on Thursday. In the other game table leaders Kandy kept their nose ahead of qualifying for a place in the final by beating Colombo by six wickets. 

Nuwanidu Fernando, the younger brother of Sri Lanka fast bowler Vishwa Fernando scored back-to-back hundreds for Colombo but failed to stop table leaders Kandy from winning and consolidating their position at the top.  

Kandy chasing a challenging target of 272 were indebted to Sri Lanka Test number three Oshada Fernando who produced two productive partnerships with Sahan Arachchige and Pulina Tharanga after they had somewhat fallen behind in the run chase losing the first three wickets for 90 runs in 20 overs. Fernando, who already has a century in the tournament against Dambulla, held the innings together with a well-paced knock of 85 not out off 94 balls (6 fours) that saw Kandy win by six wickets with seven balls to spare at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Arachchige (64 off 76 balls, 7 fours) helped Fernando put on 128 for the fourth wicket and Tharanga (32* off 22 balls, 4 fours) in a further (unbroken) partnership of 54 for the fifth. 

Colombo had only themselves to blame for not coming up with a bigger total than they did. Following Nuwanidu Fernando’s century (112 off 133 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) and his partnership of 109 with Sammu Ashan (62 off 70 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) Colombo were well placed to top the 300-run mark at 206-3 in the 40th over. But two unnecessary run outs contributed towards their collapse as they lost their last five wickets for 17 runs. 

Duvindu Tillakaratne, son of former Sri Lanka Test captain Hashan Tillakaratne returned career best one-day figures of 4 for 21 to bowl Dambulla to their first win of the tournament after five consecutive defeats in their match played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. Tillakaratne with his slow left-arm orthodox spin and Skipper Ashan Priyanjan bowling off-breaks ran through the Galle batting dismissing them for a moderate score of 125 in 34 overs. Dambulla, although losing half the side for 73 reached their target of 126 in the 25th over banking largely on an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 53 between Sadeera Sadamal (26*) and Dushan Hemantha (28*). Priyanjan contributed an aggressive 31 off 32 balls at the top of the order. – (ST) 

RESULTS: 

At Pallekele: Kandy beat Colombo by six wickets. 

Colombo 271 (49.3) (Dimuth Karunaratne 29, Nuwanidu Fernando 112, Sammu Ashan 62, Ashen Bandara 20, Asitha Fernando 3/41, Pulina Tharanga 3/66) 

Kandy 272-4 (48.5) (Lahiru Udara 34, Kaveen Bandara 25, Oshada Fernando 85*, Sahan Arachchige 64, Pulina Tharanga 32*, Lahiru Madushanka 2/34) 

At Dambulla: Dambulla beat Galle by five wickets. 

Galle 125 (33.4) (Himasha Liyanage 29, Duvindu Tillakaratne 4/21, Ashan Priyanjan 2/10) 

Dambulla 126-5 (24.5) (Ashan Priyanjan 31, Sadeera Sadamal 26*, Dushan Hemantha 28*)