Dhananjaya, Lahiru guide Jaffna to first outright win
A valuable unbroken 93-run stand for the seventh wicket between skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (82n.o.) and Lahiru Madusanka (28n.o.), helped Jaffna to their maiden win in the National Super League 4-day game against Team Kandy at the SSC grounds yesterday.
Despite conceding a first innings lead to Kandy, Jaffna fought their way back to record a four-wicket win. Kandy, resuming their second innings from their overnight score of 172 for 6, made 222 runs. Ahan Wickremasinghe, who made 101 in the first innings, hit 77 and his dismissal saw the Kandy tail-end falling like nine pins.
Jaffna, chasing a victory target of 243 runs, made smooth progress and even though losing wickets at regular intervals, skipper Dhananjaya and Lahiru got them back into the game with an unbroken partnership to race to the target with a day to spare. This was Kandy’s second successive defeat having undergone a defeat at the hands of Galle by 10 wickets last week.
In the second game, Team Galle made a strong reply to Colombo’s first innings total, reaching 439 for 5 at the end of the third day’s play at Sooriyawewa. Galle’s innings was bolstered by Laskhan Edirisinghe (129) and Angelo Mathews (105), who shared a third wicket stand of 210 runs to lead their side to a first innings lead. Dinesh Chandimal and Pathum Kumara then added 95 runs for the fifth wicket for Galle to end day three on 439 for 5. This match will continue today.
| Brief Scores: | |
Kandy 265 all out (Ahan Wickramasinghe 101, SandunWeerakkody 36, Oshada Fernando 33, Wanuja Sahan 22, Niroshan Dickwella 21: Shashika Dulshan 4/70, Binura Fernando 3/34, Ravindu Fernando 2/55) and (172/6 o’night) 222 all out (Ahan Wickramasinghe 77, Kasun Vidura 29, Oshada Fernando 27, Niroshan Dickwella 25, Thanuka Dabare 21: Shashika Dilshan 4/73, Navod Paranavithana 3/16, Binura Fernando 2/20) Jaffna 245 all out (Janith Liyanage 129, Navod Paranavithana 45: Wanuja Sahan 3/50, Lahiru Kumara 3/52, Amshi de Silva 2/60) and 243 for 6 at close (Sadeera Samarawickrama 41, Navod Paranavithana 37, Ron Chandragupta 20, Janith Liyanage 20, Dhananjaya de Silva 82n.o., Lahiru Madusanka 28n.o.: Wanuja Shan 2/95)
Colombo 405 all out (Avishka Fernando 150, Nisala Tharaka 82, Dushan Vimukthi 40, Tharindu Ratnayake 28, Kasun Rajitha 34n.o.: Kavishka Anjula 4/67, Ramesh Mendis 3/81) Galle (131/2 o’night) 439 for 5 at stumps (Lakshan Edirisinghe 129, Angelo Mathews 105, Dinesh Chandimal 63, Sangeeth Cooray 33, Pathum Kumara 71n.o., Ramesh Mendis 15n.o.) |