By Srian Obeyesekere

Dinesh Chandimal struck an exquisite 132 to haul Galle out of trouble against Colombo in fronting an innings of valour as wickets fell around him having come in following the dismissal of Oshada Fernando for a third ball duck with the scoreboard blank to orthodox bowler Prabath Jayasuriya in a decimation to 67 for 4 and 105 for 5 before finding solid support from Ramesh Mendis to a 119 sixth wicket bonding with Ramesh Mendis to ending the day on 265 for 7 in 83.2 overs with Mendis unbeaten on 56 off 158 balls on the opening day of the Sri Lanka Cricket National Super League Tournament match played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

Chandimal, the former Sri Lanka captain unleashed the experience of class swatted into 14 boundaries and a six in 195-ball, 320-minute occupation of the crease in rescuing his side from disaster after the frontline had wilted before a concentrated Colombo attack with only Dunith Wellalage 21 off 36 with 3 boundaries in a fifth wicket pairing to taking Galle past the 100-mark, and to a lesser degree Santhush Gunathilake 15 off 33 the only batsmen to reach double figures.
Colombo’s main wicket taker was Dhananjaya Lakshan with 3 for 51 with a wicket each by Pramod Madushan, Akmal Fazly and Prabath Jayasuriya.

CHIEF SCORES
Galle vs Colombo
Galle 265/7 (83.2 Overs)
(Dinesh Chandimal 132, Ramesh Mendis n.o. 56, Dunith Wellalage 21, Santhush Gunathilake 15, Thulina Dilshan 10, Dhananjaya Lakshan 3/51, Pramod Madushan 1/35, Akmal Fazly 1/40, Prabath Jayasuriya 1/68)