Galle’s Ramesh Mendis and Dambulla and Sri Lanka test captain hit the dream entury trail yesterday on the third day’s play of the Sri Lanka Cricket organized National Super League 4day Tournament.
Mendis’ struck a typically glorious 124 in a 203-ball knock selectively crossing the boundary on 8 occasions having taken strike towards the tail end of Galle’s innings at No.8 on the second day’s play with his side not that well placed on 169 for 6 in reply to Jaffna’s 305 and added 92 for the seventh wicket with Dunith Wellalage 68, and went on to reach the magical mark batting around the last three wickets, none of whom got to double figures in taking Galle to the respectability of 371 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on the penultimate day.
Jaffna hit back racing to 135 for 2 in the second innings with opening batsman Shevon Daniel leading the way with unbeaten 65 hitting 5 boundaries and 2 sixes for back to back half centuries in a continuation of his pleasing form in the tournament. Tharaka Dabare was with him on 44 off 42 clouting 3 over the top and 2 to the ropes.
Meanwhile, Dambulla skipper Dhananjaya de Silva underwrote his characteristically typical copybook stroke play that has brought him to the highest rungs of the international arena for that steadying compactness as he crowned himself with his third consecutive century in three weeks stroking 108 off 152 balls containing 11 boundaries and a six with Dasun Shanaka too displaying his penchant to a cameo unbeaten 63 off 67 with 7 fours and a six in a total of 340. But their efforts did not carry Dambulla to the hilt with Kandy enjoying a 113 first innings lead to which they further consolidated to an ovthe penultimate day on a healthy 190 for 5 in the second innings with Pawantha Weerasinghe leading the way with 74 off 132 with 5 boundaries and a six and Sohan de Livera 32 for an overall lead of 303 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Dambulla’s Akila Dananjaya accounted for 4 of those 5 Kandy wickets at a cost of 73 runs for an already match take of 9 wickets in the wake of his 10 wickets last week in his side’s triumph over Colombo.
Chief Scores:
Kandy vs Dambulla
Kandy 453 (Pathum Nissanka 202, Sohan de Livera 142, Ravindu Fernando 37, Pavantha Weerasibghe 20, Akila Dananjaya 5/140, Chamindu Wickramasnghe 3/59, Dinura Kalupahana 2/64)
And 190/5 (53 Overs)
(Pawantha Weerasinghe 74, Sohan de Livera 32, Janishka Perera 27, Ravindu Fernando 24, Akila Dananjaya 4/73, Dinura Kalupahana 1/17)
Dambulla 340 (84.4 Overs)
(Dhananjaya de Silva 108, Dasun Shanaka n.o. 63, Vishad Randika 40, Sahan Kosala 34, Nishan Madushka 31, Lasith Ebuldeniya 14, Shiran Fernando 3/42, Ashian Daniel 4/109, Lahiru Kumara 1/57, Sahan Nanayakkara 2/125)
Jaffna vs Galle
Jaffna 305 (69.1 Overs)
(Thanuja Dabare 81, Shevon Daniel 56, Janith Liyanage 28, Nimesh Vimukthi 16, Dilum Sudeera 5/60)
Nisala Tharaka 1/20, Ramesh Mendis 1/22)
And 135/2 (22 Overs)
(Shevon Daniel n.o. 65, Thanuka Dabare n.o. 44)
Galle 371 (98 Overs)
(Ramesh Mendis 124, Dunith Wellalage 68, Oshada Fernando 67, Dinesh Chandimal 40, Nipun Dhananjaya 14, Sithum Dissanayake 3/57, Asanka Manoj 3/59, Nimesh Vimukthi 2/65, Chamika Karunaratne 2/100)
Leave a Reply