Nishan Peiris’ five-fer leaves Galle needing 176 runs for victory

 Galle captain Ramesh Mendis celebrates his hundred with a four-off bowler Ashian Daniel

Ravindu Ratnayake and Raveen Yasas added 51 runs before the Kandy innings fell apart

Galle’s Nishan Peiris (ball in hand) walks back at the end of the day with a haul of five wickets

• Skipper Ramesh Mendis scores century for Galle

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Galle fought back through their spinners to leave themselves with the task of chasing down a target of 176 runs on the fourth and final day today to win the National Super League 4-day final played at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium, after dismissing Kandy in their second innings for 163 off the last ball of the third day yesterday.

The destroyer of the Kandy innings was Galle’s prolific wicket-taker of the tournament off-spinner Nishan Peiris who took his 12th five-fer in his first-class career with figures of 5/42 off 24 overs. He received good support from skipper Ramesh Mendis (2/38) and Praveen Jayawickrama (2/35). Wicketless in the first innings Peiris used all his guile to induce false strokes from the Kandy batsmen as he went past Kandy’s Wanuja Sahan as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 35 wickets. Sahan with 34 wickets is not playing in this match as he is involved with Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the unofficial ODI series against Afghanistan ‘A’ in Hambantota.

Mendis scored a century for Galle, his 10th in first-class cricket but his team fell short by 12 runs to take the all-important first innings lead, although later in the day it became insignificant. Mendis, unbeaten on 79 overnight, had only the tail to support him to get to Kandy’s first innings total of 316, after Galle resumed at 247-8, and trailing by 69 runs. Mendis reached his century off 140 balls by hitting spinner Ashian Daniel for his eighth four but with the total on 282 and his individual score on 111 he was bowled by his vis-à-vis Lasith Embuldeniya having hit 10 fours overall. Mendis returned the compliment later when he castled Embuldeniya for one in Kandy’s second innings.

Galle’s last pair Tilanga Udeshana and Asanka Manoj put up a plucky display adding 22 for the last wicket and taking the total past the 300-run mark when Sithum Dissanayake finally ended their resistance by having Udeshana edging a catch behind the wicket for 15 scored off 78 balls.

With a slender 12 runs lead Kandy began their second innings rather tentatively as they lost their first three wickets for 19 runs and the fourth at 57 with Peiris, wicketless in the first innings causing some consternation in the Kandy camp by capturing three of the first four wickets. Raveen Yasas defied 91 balls for 45 (7 fours) before losing his patience against the left-arm spin of Praveen Jayawickrama and was stumped by Vishad Randika making Kandy 97-5.

Ravindu Ratnayake (27) and Pulina Tharanga (43 off 65 balls, 6 fours) set about repairing the innings with a partnership of 51, but Peiris ended the stand when Ratnayake tried take him on but only ended up giving a catch to mid-on. From thereon there was hardly any resistance as the Kandy innings folded up for 163 with the last five wickets tumbling for 15 runs.

Scores: Kandy 316 and 163 (Sithara Gimhan 21, Raveen Yasas 45, Ravindu Ratnayake 27, Pulina Tharanga 43, Nishan Peiris 5/42, Praveen Jayawickrama 2/35, Ramesh Mendis 2/38)

Galle 304 (Shehan Fernando 33, Dhananjaya Lakshan 47, Ramesh Mendis 111, Sithum Dissanayake 3/50, Nimsara Atharagalla 3/66, Lasith Embuldeniya 3/79)