By Srian Obeyesekere
Kusal Mendis struck a thick run vein in a near run a ball 119 off 123 balls in lifting Colombo from 4 for 78 to 300 for 9 wickets against Dambulla at stumps on the opening day of the Sri Lanka National Super League 4-day fixture at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Mendis struck 12 boundaries and 2 sixes in putting on 67 for the fifth wicket with skipper Charith Asalanka who made 43 off 70 hitting 4 boundaries and a six having won the toss and opted to bat first. He went on to add a further 96 for the seventh wicket together with Lahiru Madushanka who scored 43 off 88 inclusive of 4 boundaries, the pair having come together with Colombo on 173 for 6.
Off spinner Akila Dananjaya continued his fine tournament form picking up 3 wickets for 91 runs followed by Dulaj Samuditha 2 for 20, Mohamed Shiraj 2 for 48, Duvindu Tillakaratne 1 for 32 and Sonal Dinusha 1 for 47.
Meanwhile, Jaffna totaled 200 versus Kandy after being put in to bat with Ravindu Rasantha the mainstay scoring 97 off 198 balls containing 14 boundaries. Kandy had replied with 67 for 1 wicket on the opening day of the National Super League game played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
The pick of Kandy’s bowlers was Chamindu Wickramasinghe with a 5 wicket haul for 54 runs with skipper Sahan Arachchige chipping in with 2 for 20, Lahiru Kumara 1 for 14, Shiran Fernando 1 for 28 and Sahan Nanayakkara 1 for 46.
Kandy lost Pathum Nissanka early for 14 to Tharindu Rathnayake who had him caught by Rasantha, but Janishka Perera and last week’s back to back centurion Kamil Mishara 28 off 49 with 4 boundaries and 22 off 45 with 2 boundaries and a six respectively, rallied Kandy to 67 without further loss.
CHIEF SCORES:
Colombo vs Dambulla
Colombo 300/9 (76 Overs)
(Kusal Mendis 119, Charith Asalanka 43, Lahiru Madushanka 43, Asitha Wanninayake 38, Dhnanjaya Lakshan 12, Pramod Madushan n.o. 11, Nishan Peiris n.o. 2, Akila Dananjaya 3/91, Dulaj Samuditha 2/20, Mohamed Shiraj 2/48, Duvindu Tillakaratne 1/32, Sonal Dinusha 1/47.
Jaffna vs Kandy
Jaffna 201 (68.1 Overs)
(Ravindu Rasantha 97, Anjula Bandara 28, Tharindu Rathnayake 21, Kavishka Anjula 19, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 5/54, Sahan Arachchige 2 /20, Lahiru Kumara 1/14, Shiran Fernando 1/28, Sahan Nanayakkara 1/46)
Kandy 67/1 (17 Overs)
(Janishk Perera n.o. 28, Kamil Mishara n.o. 22, Pathum Nissanka 14, Tharindu Rathnayake 1/35)
