Table leaders Galle in the box seat after day one

Galle fast bowler Mohammed Shiraz unsettled the Jaffna batting with five wickets

Sohan de Livera held the Galle innings together with an unbeaten century

Dambulla’s Minod Bhanuka batting against Colombo 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Galle who has a stranglehold on the ongoing National Super League four-day tournament leading the points table by nearly 20 points over second placed Kandy, once again displayed their superiority in this tournament by dismissing Jaffna for a paltry 130 on the opening day of their match played at the Galle Cricket Stadium yesterday.

By stumps Galle had already taken a first innings of 63 scoring 193-4 and played themselves into a strong position to gain full points from this contest. Wicket-keeper/opener Sohan de Livera held the Galle innings together with an unbeaten 105 off 146 balls (12 fours) having put on a valuable 126 runs (unbroken) partnership for the fifth wicket with Mahesh Kumara (42* off 92 balls, 4 fours) to help them recover from 67-4.  

Invited to bat first Jaffna struggled against the probing pace of Mohammed Shiraz who was the chief destroyer of their innings with figures of 5 for 48. Only opener Navod Paranavithana with a fighting 39 off 65 balls (5 fours), Janith Liyanage 20 off 24 balls and Binura Fernando, a plucky 37 off 55 balls offered any resistance against the persistent pace cum spin attack. 

After Shiraz had cleaned up the top and middle order, the spinners came into action with Kaumal Nanayakkara and Akila Dananjaya doing the mopping up operations picking up four wickets between them.

Dambulla made full use of Colombo’s invitation to make first use of the wicket by running up a first day total of 297-6 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota. Dambulla struggled against the seam of Himesh Ramanayake losing their first three wickets for 48, before Sanoj Dharshika (43) and skipper Minod Bhanuka (73 off 123 balls, 11 fours) rescued them with a partnership of 77. 

Colombo faced further opposition from Ashan Priyanjan who completed his 14th first-class hundred before the close off 167 balls with nine fours, and figured in an unbroken stand of 90 with Chamindu Wijesinghe (27*).

Both matches continue on the second day today.   

FIRST DAY SCORES:

At Galle: Jaffna 130 (Navod Paranavithana 39, Janith Liyanage 20, Binura Fernando 37, Mohammed Shiraz 5/60, Akila Dananjaya 2/24, Kaumal Nanayakkara 2/13)

Galle 193-4 at close (Sohan de Livera 105*, Mahesh Kumara 42, Lahiru Madushanka 2/35)  

At Hambantota: Dambulla 297-6 at close (Leo Fransisco 26, Sanoj Darshika 43, Minod Bhanuka 73, Ashan Priyanjan 100*, Chamindu Wijesinghe 27*, Nuwan Pradeep 2/59, Himesh Ramanayake 3/51) v Colombo.