Kandy claim honours at NSL finals
Oshada Fernando’s fine form of yet another century (109) and bowlers keeping Jaffna under check ensured his team Kandy remained on top with a big lead of 269, when bad light forced premature stumps at day-03, yesterday, in Galle.
The hill country capital was 52 for one, after dismissing Jaffna for 227, in the concluding National Super League four-dayer. The Northerners resuming on their overnight score of 42, did not have their batters backing them, as a result neither a scorecard bragging of scores. The only two contributions were from Nishan Madushka’s bat of 57, and surprisingly from the lower-order of Dilum Sudeera’s 49. Sudeera, though, was unlucky to run out of partners, remaining stranded on 49, one shy of only his second fifty and six shy of his career-best.
His captain Dhananjaya de Silva also threw his wicket, when he was settling in, gifting Ashian Daniel his second.
Kandyans, winning the toss and sending them to bat first, unlike their opposition had several of their batters among the runs. Preceding to that though, the openers set the tone giving the team a flying start, when openers shared a century worth opening stand. Though the openers were back in the hut soon, after notching up half-centuries, the best was yet to come between Oshada Fernando and Kamindu Mendis, their captain. The pair for the third-wicket shared 188.
Of the several batters, the matches’ only centurion so far Fernando, a national test player, bidding to return to the longest-format, seized the opportunity in continuing to score bus loads of runs.
Thus far, in hundreds alone, he has hit four, including the last hundred from the final. Apart from that, he concludes the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer (712), coincidentally behind his captain. There was also a battle between the batters momentarily as to whether will Fernando beat Mendis. However, the ambidextrous Mendis is well ahead and will finish the competition as the top run-scorer.
Wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella and Pulina Tharanga also chipped in with 32 and 43. Sudeera also shined with the ball, becoming the most successful in his innings taking four wickets.
| SCORECARD | |
| Kandy 1st innings 444 all out (Oshada Fernando 109, Kamindu Mendis 87, Kasun Vidura 71, Kamil Mishara 56, Pulinga Tharanga 43, Niroshan Dickwella 32; Dhananjaya de Silva 3/96, Dilum Sudeera 4/86, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/97) Jaffna 1st innings Navod Pathirana c Dickwella b Embuldeniya……………….. 13 Nishan Madushka c Vidura b Tharanga…………………… 57 Saminda Fernando b A. Fernando…………………………. 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama c Mendis b Embuldeniya……… 15 Dhananjaya de Silva c Vidura b Daniel…………………… 30 Geeth Kumara c Udara b Daniel…………………………… 16 Janith Liyanage c O. Fernando b Embuldeniya……………… 10 Dunith Liyanage c Tharanga b Embuldeniya………………… 19 Dilum Sudeera not out………………………………….. 49 Nipun Malinga c Dickwella b A. Fernando…………………….. 8 Jeffrey Vandersay b Daniel………………………………. 1 Extras (b 1, lb 1, nb 4)…………………………………………. 6 Total (all out; 89.1 overs)…………………………………….. 227 Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Paranavithana, 16.4 ov), 2-45 (S. Fernando, 21.3 ov), 3-80 (Samarawickrama, 32.5 ov), 4-123 (Madushka, 44.1 ov), 5-125 (D. de Silva, 45.1 ov), 6-150 (Liyanage, 62.2 ov), 7-150 (Kumara, 63.1 ov), 8-184 (Wellalage, 74.2 ov), 9-218 (Malinga, 82.1 ov), 10-227 (Vandersay, 89.1 ov) Bowling: Lasith Embuldeniya 39-6-100-4, Asitha Fernando 13-3-25-2, Ashian Daniel 32.1-7-89-3, Pulina Tharanga 5-0-11-1 Kandy 2nd innings Kamil Mishara c Paranavithana b Thilakaratne……………….. 26 Kasun Vidura not out……………………………………… 4 Oshada Fernando not out………………………………… 9 Extras (nb 1) ………………………………………………… 1 Total (1 wicket;15 overs)………………………………………. 52 Yet to bat: Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Lahiru Udara, Sahan Arahchcige, Ashian Daniel, Pulina Tharanga, Asitha Fernando, Lasith Embuldeniya Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Mishara, 9.2) Bowling: Dhananjaya de Silva 8-1-27-0, Nipun Malinga 3-0-12-0. Dilum Sudeera 4-0-13-1.
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