Dambulla in box seat to claim NSL title
Mohamed Shiraz claimed a five-fer for Team Galle
Team Dambulla are just five wickets away from clinching the National Super League 4-day title after they ran through Team Galle’s top order, chasing 258 in the finals being played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
When the early stumps were called due to rain, Galle were stuttering at 93 for 5, still needing 165 runs to lay their hands on the coveted title and the Rs.5 million on offer for the champion team.
A lot for Galle will depend on the 23-year-old Pathum Kumara, who made a fighting half century in their first innings, scoring 78 off 120 balls. He remains at the crease unbeaten on 26, along with young Dunith Wellalage on four, fighting a battle that seems long and hard on the usually spin-friendly Galle surface.
Left-arm seamer Lahiru Samarakoon had both Team Galle openers Sohan de Livera and Sangeeth Cooray back in the pavilion by the fifth over of the match before Ashan Priyanjan and Wanindu Hasaranga joined Samarakoon to remove the next three wickets to put the hosts under tremendous pressure at 88 for 5 by the 21st over of the match.
In the morning session, Dambulla were bowled out for 196 in the second innings, having resumed the day on 116 for 4, after Mohammed Shiraz produced a stunning fast bowling performance of 5 for 52. He was supported by Asanka Manoj, who had two scalps before his name.
Even though Dambulla were in a very good position at the start of the day, Galle hit back with early wickets to eventually bowl them out for 196 runs. Dambulla scored 248 runs in the first innings while Galle managed only 187 runs.
| Brief Scores: | |
| Dambulla 248 all out (72.1) (Abishek Liyanaarchchi 54, Minod Bhanuka 50: Dunith Wellalage 5/58) and (116/4 o’night) 196 all out (71.2) (Sonal Dinusha 59, Ranitha Liyanaarachchi 45, Ashan Priyanjan 36: Mohamed Shiraz 5/52, Asanka Manoj 2/40)Galle 187 all out (53.2) (Pathum Kumara 78, Suminda Lakshan 41, Kavishka Anjula 26: Wanindu Hasranga 4/64, Lahiru Samarakoon 3/42, Sonal Dinusha 2/32) and 93 for 5 (23) at stumps (Pathum Kumara 26n.o.: Lahiru Samarakoon 3/32) |