Galle keep hopes alive with stunning win over Colombo

Pabasara Waduge displayed a wide range of shots in his unbeaten knock of 92 for Galle against Jaffna

Dhananjaya Lakshan of Galle celebrates his half-century against Jaffna

Dhananjaya de Silva, the Colombo captain who scored a century and Lahiru Thirimanne (right) touch gloves during their century partnership against Galle

• Kandy qualifies for National Super League Limited Over final

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Galle came up with a stunning batting performance to beat Colombo by eight wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the final of the National Super League Limited Overs tournament.

With the game between table toppers Kandy and wooden-spoonists Dambulla being abandoned as a No Result without a ball bowled at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium yesterday, the focus was on the second game for the day played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium between Colombo and Galle.

A stroke-filled hundred from Jaffna skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, his second of the tournament saw Jaffna invited to bat first run up an impressive total of 272-5 off 46 overs before the innings was terminated due to rain. The match had already been reduced to 49 overs a side due to wet ground conditions that pushed back the start.

The feature of the Jaffna innings was the century partnership between two Sri Lankan players Lahiru Thirimanne and De Silva. After Sadeera Samarawickrama had got the innings off to decent start scoring 23 off the opening stand of 55 with Thirimanne, the third wicket pair carried the momentum with Thirimanne scoring an attractive 85 off 79 balls (8 fours, 1 six) in partnership with his captain. 

Following Thirimanne’s dismissal at 162 Sri Lanka’s U19 World Cup captain Dunith Wellalage playing his first match of the tournament helped De Silva add a further 76 for the fourth wicket with his contribution being 23 off 35 balls. De Silva who reached his century off 102 balls with a four of Dananjaya Lakshan was unbeaten on 109 scored off 106 balls (11 fours, 3 sixes) when rain cut short the Jaffna innings at the end of the 46th over.

Galle’s target was reduced to 197 off 25 overs and they did not make the best of starts losing the first two wickets for 32 in five overs. It was then that opening bat Pabasara Waduge joined by hard-hitting all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan took control of the game. In a display of extraordinary hitting they pummelled 165 runs off 98 balls in a third wicket stand to see Galle home with 21 balls to spare. The two batsmen took the Jaffna bowling by the scruff of the neck to dominate the match and turn it in Galle’s favour. Waduge struck 10 fours and two sixes in his unbeaten knock of 92 off 70 balls and Lakshan scored an exhilarating 70 not out off 44 balls inclusive of 11 fours and a six as they put the Jaffna bowlers to the sword with all seven bowlers used going at over eight runs an over.

What yesterday’s win has done for Galle is it has pushed them upto third place in the league table with 17 points, one point behind second placed Jaffna. Colombo are in fourth place with 14 points. Kandy are through to the final with 26 points.  The final set of league matches scheduled for Wednesday (16 February) between Galle and Kandy at Pallekele and Jaffna and Colombo at Dambulla will decide the second placed team that will join Kandy in the final scheduled for 19 February at Pallekele. Dambulla, the fifth team in the competition have completed their league matches and lie fifth and last in the table with one win and seven points from eight matches.         

  

Results

At Pallekele: Galle beat Colombo by eight wickets (D/L method)

Jaffna 272-5 (46) (Sadeera Samarawickrama 23, Lahiru Thirimanne 85, Dhananjaya de Silva 109*, Dunith Wellalage 23, Akila Dananjaya 2/51)

Galle 197-2 (21.3) (Pabasara Waduge 92*, Dhananjaya Lakshan 70*)

At Dambulla: No Result (not a ball bowled) – Dambulla v Kandy