Match evenly poised at Galle
Kavin Bandara after reaching his 50 - Pic courtesy SLC
Jaffna is set to chase 381 runs while Colombo needs nine wickets at the end of the third day’s play in their National Super League 4-Day Cricket encounter at Galle yesterday. Resuming from their overnight score of 227-7, Jaffna were skittled out after adding 19 runs as Colombo gained an advantage of 140 runs after the end of the first essays.
Batting for the second time, Colombo declared at 313 for the loss of 6 wickets, which left Jaffna with a challenging target of 459 runs with four sessions remaining, bolstered by their first innings total of 386. Dhananjaya Lakshan top scored with 75 runs off 87 deliveries, inclusive of seven fours and a six, as Colombo accelerated to add more runs on a flat pitch. Opener Avishka Fernando, who smashed a 164-ball 144 in the first innings, continued his form with a run-a-ball 41 while Kavin Bandara hit 57 off 94 deliveries, frustrating the Jaffna bowlers.
At the time of declaration, Dushan Hemantha, who came down the order, smashed an unbeaten 58 off 52 balls, with five boundaries and two sixes, while Lahiru Madushanka hit a run-a-ball 30, inclusive of a six and a four, to boost Colombo’s chances of a win. Hemantha and Madushanka were associating in an unbroken partnership of 93 runs for the seventh wicket when Colombo decided to declare. Left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi, right-arm spinner Murvin Abinash and left-arm spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who accounted for six scalps in the first innings, picked two wickets each.
Jaffna batted cautiously after losing opener Thanuka Dabare early on, and were 73-1 when stumps were drawn on the third day. Ravindu Rasantha (39) and Shevon Daniel (32) remained on the crease, while putting on an unbroken partnership of 72 runs for the second wicket. The match ends today.
Brief Scores
- Colombo 386 all out (95) (Avishka Fernando 144, Kavin Bandara 77, Charith Asalanka 51, Navod Paranavithana 39, Dushan Hemantha 31; Jeffrey Vandersay 6/86, Murvin Abinash 2/93) and 313 for 6 (58) decl. (Dhananjaya Lakshan 75, Dushan Hemantha 58n.o., Kavin Bandara 57, Avishka Fernando 41, Lahiru Madushanka 30n.o.; Murvin Abinash 2/63, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/85, Nimesh Vimukthi 2/92)
- Jaffna 246 all out (90.5) (Anjala Bandara 88, Janith Liyanage 51, Chamika Karunaratne 29; Nishan Peiris 5/59, Kasun Rajitha 2/34) and 73 for 1 (20) at stumps (Ravindu Fernando 39n.o., Shevon Daniel 32n.o.)