Asalanka leads Colombo’s fightback with century

Wednesday, 23 April 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dambulla’s Sammu Ashan on offensive during his knock of 71

4th National Super League tournament

Jaffna on top against Dambulla

By Saadi Thoufeek

Sri Lanka’s white ball Captain Charith Asalanka led Colombo’s fight back against Galle with a sterling century – only his third in a first-class career spanning almost a decade on the third day of their National Super League 4-day match played at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Asalanka who has played more white ball cricket than red ball – 73 ODIs and 58 T20Is in comparison to 50 first-class matches, carried the fight to the Galle bowlers with a career best knock of 142* off 193 balls (17 fours, 2 sixes) as Colombo ended the day on 341-6 in reply to Galle’s first innings of 435. Colombo still trail Galle by 94 runs with 4 first innings wickets in hand going into the fourth and final day today. The most Colombo can do is to grab first innings points by topping Galle’s total, which is not sufficient to prevent the defending champions from finishing among the top two in the league standings and qualifying for the final.

Overnight pair Avishka Fernando (53 off 81 balls, 9 fours) and Dhananjaya Lakshan (60 off 80 balls, 8 fours) carried their second wicket partnership to worth 116 before being separated. Asalanka who leads Colombo took charge from there onwards stitching together a stand of 112 with Kavin Bandara (40 off 93 balls, 2 fours) to take his team past the 300-run mark.

Jaffna ended the third day of their match against table toppers Dambulla in a strong position to post their first win of the tournament at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium yesterday. Replying to Jaffna’s first innings total of 418, Dambulla finished on 264-6 with bad light once again bringing an early closure to the day.

When Dambulla resumed their first innings at 54-1, fast bowler Isitha Wijesundara dented their batting by sending back national players Nishan Madushka for 24 and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva for a second ball duck in his first two overs for the day.

Dinura Kalupahana, the former Sri Lanka Under-19 Captain scored a plucky 55 off 106 balls (5 fours) and Sammu Ashan, an attractive 71 off 126 balls (9 fours, 1 six), but no one went on to make a big score. At stumps Vishad Randika (42*) and Chamindu Wijesinghe (26*) had added 61 for the seventh wicket in an unfinished stand, but Dambulla has a lot of work to do, trailing by 154 runs with only four wickets intact to surpass Jaffna’s total. Jaffna has so far used 9 bowlers. Today is the final day.

Day three scores

At Dambulla: Galle 435;

Colombo 341-6 at close (o/n 85-1) (Avishka Fernando 53, Dhananjaya Lakshan 60, Charith Asalanka 142*, Kavin Bandara 40, Nisala Tharaka 2/69, Dunith Wellalage 2/46)

At Pallekele: Jaffna 418;

Dambulla 264-6 at close (o/n 54-1) (Nishan Madushka 24, Ron Chandraguptha 20, Dinura Kalupahana 55, Sammu Ashan 71, Vishad Randika 42*, Chamindu Wijesinghe 26*, Isitha Wijesundara 2/52, Nimesh Vimukthi 2/74)

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