Pulina Tharanga’s maiden five-for takes Kandy to the top

Kandy’s leg-spinner Pulina Tharanga (left) celebrates another Galle wicket with wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella on his way to career best figures of 6 for 29 

National Super League Limited Overs Tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Kandy went to the top of the National Super League Limited Overs standings with a 96-run win over Galle while

Sadeera Samarawickrama overcame a bout of cramps to guide Jaffna to victory over Colombo with an unbeaten knock of 91

Jaffna kept pace with them trouncing Colombo by six wickets in the matches concluded yesterday.

Leg-spinner Pulina Tharanga recorded his first-ever five-for in any form of cricket when he took six wickets for 29 to bowl Kandy to a 96-run win over Galle at the P Sara Oval. Tharanga’s exceptional bowling outshone Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya’s 5 for 61 for Galle, and it took Kandy to the top of the table with 15 points.

Galle were never in the hunt to chase down a target of 270 as they slipped to 119-8. Only some resistance from the tail-enders saw them reach their eventual total of 173. Tharanga was supported by Sri Lanka’s Test left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya who bowled ten tight overs for figures of 2 for 36.

Following a strong beginning Kandy lost their way in the final eight overs losing their last seven wickets for 35 runs to be dismissed well under 50 overs for 269 after being put into bat first. An opening stand of 63 off 46 balls between Niroshan Dickwella (46 off 29 balls, 10 fours) and Lahiru Udara (63 off 84 balls, 8 fours) gave Kandy the launch pad to put up a commanding total. 

Lasith Croospulle (46 off 47 balls) and Oshada Fernando (56 off 69 balls) took the score to 234-3 before the innings started to crumble. Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya whose first spell of five overs yielded one wicket for 37 and had conceded 54 runs off his first eight overs, struck double blows in his ninth and tenth overs taking four wickets for seven runs to cause the Kandy slide. He finished with figures of 5 for 61.

Sri Lanka cricketers Sadeera Samarawickrama and Lahiru Thirimanne struck contrasting 50s as Jaffna successfully chased a target of 248 to beat Colombo by six wickets at the SSC grounds. Samarawickrama and Thirimanne put on an opening stand of 91 to lay the foundation for the run chase. 

Thirimanne scored 52 off 63 balls before being dismissed, but Samarawickrama batted throughout to remain unbeaten on a well-constructed 91 off 95 balls (7 fours) having to retire hurt at 44 due to cramps at 109-1 and returning at the fall of the fourth wicket at 172 to build an unbroken stand of 76 with Santhush Gunathilaka (25*) to see them home comfortably.  

Colombo, choosing to bat first, recovered from losing their first four wickets for 53 to come up with a total of 247-8 thanks largely to two young promising cricketers Sammu Ashan and Ashen Bandara who figured in a 111-run stand for the fifth wicket. 

While Ashan missed out on his fifty by seven runs, Bandara went on to make a top score of 75 off 110 balls (8 fours) which was his highest in fifty-over cricket. Lahiru Madushanka thumped 42 off 30 balls (3 fours, 1 six) so that 73 came off the last ten overs. Seamer Nimanda Madushanka was the pick of the Jaffna bowlers taking 4 for 39.

Results

At P. Sara Oval: Kandy beat Galle by 96 runs

Kandy 269 (47.3) (Niroshan Dickwella 46, Lahiru Udara 63, Lasith Croospulle 46, Oshada Fernando 56, Sahan Arachchige 21, Pulina Tharanga 20*, Kavishka Anjula 2/34, Akila Dananjaya 5/61)

Galle 173 (42.2) (Pabasara Waduge 50, Ashan Randika 28, Heshan Hettiarachchi 21, Nimesh Vimukthi 22, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/36, Pulina Tharanga 6/29)

At SSC: Jaffna beat Colombo by 6 wickets

Colombo 247-8 (50) (Sammu Ashan 43, Ashen Bandara 75, Lahiru Madushanka 42, Nimanda Madushanka 4/39)

Jaffna 248-4 (46.4) (Sadeera Samarawickrama 91*, Lahiru Thirimanne 52, Damith Silva 27, Ravindu Fernando 27, Santhush Gunathilaka 25*, Tharindu Ratnayake 2/56)