Nissanka, Fernando shine in Jaffna Kings third win
View(s):By M. Shamil Amit reporting from Dambulla
Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando shone for Jaffna Kings’ win over Dambulla Sixers in the eighth match of the fifth Lanka Premier League tournament played under floodlights at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium yesterday.
The duo cracked half tons, laying the foundation for Jaffna Kings to record a comfortable win by 30 runs. In the process they chalked up their third win to take the top slot after the completion of eight matches while Dambulla Sixers suffered their third successive defeat.
Opener Pathum Nissanka hit 88
Dambulla Sixers, set to chase a massive target of 219 runs, fell short despite an enterprising knock by opener Reeza Hendricks. He made 80 in 50 balls with nine boundaries and three sixes as Dambulla Sixers placed themselves at a comfortable position in the halfway stage on 103 for 3. Apart from two brief contributions from Mark Chapman and young Chamindu Wickramasinghe, others failed to make any impression as they were restricted for a score of 188 runs.
Jaffna Kings, put into bat first, made steady progress with Pathum Nissanka sharing two brief stands. He was part of an opening wicket stand of 30 runs with Kusal Mendis and another 32 runs for the second wicket with Rilee Rossouw.
From there on the floodgates opened as Nissanka and Avishka Fernando went on a rampage with the pair batting with confidence, smothering the opposition bowlers around the field. Nissanka raced to his half ton in 37 balls after hitting five boundaries and two sixes and then posted 100 runs on the board before sharing their 50-run stand in 30 balls.
They continued to frustrate Dambulla bowlers and Fernando in particular was severe. The Jaffna Kings’ 150 came up on the board in the 16th over, following the pair’s 100-runsstand off 53 balls before Nuwan Thushara made the breakthrough. Thushara claimed the wicket of Nissanka, who slammed 88 in 53 balls inclusive of nine boundaries and four sixes.
Fernando continued the onslaught and reached his half ton in 27 balls. He hit three boundaries and a six. Fernando shared a brief stand of 32 runs for the fifth wicket with Azmatullah Omarzai before he fell victim to Chamindu Wickramasinghe, having made a quick-fire 30-ball knock of 57 runs with three boundaries and five sixes.
With Jaffna Kings surpassing the 200-run mark, the remaining five balls of the innings saw them add 11 runs to end with an imposing score of 218 for 5, the highest score of the tournament so far, surpassing the 199 made by Colombo Strikers against Kandy Falcons.
n Jaffna Kings 218 for 5 (20) (Pathum Nissanka 88, Avishka Fernando 57; Mustafizur Rahman 2/39)
n Dambulla Sixers 188 for 8 (20) (Reeza Hendricks 80, Mark Chapman 30, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 20n.o.; Asitha Fernando 2/25, Tabraiz Shamsi 2/26, Pramod Madushan 2/48)