Friday May 15, 2026
Friday May 15, 2026
Thursday, 7 May 2026 04:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
The 5th National Super League 4-day final was heading for a grandstand finish on the fourth and final day today at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium with both finalists Dambulla and Colombo equally poised to lift the trophy.
At the end of the fourth day, Colombo chasing a target of 299 closed on 154-4 requiring a further 145 runs with six wickets in hand to record a historic win in their first appearance at a final.
Dambulla struck a crucial blow in the final over of the day when skipper Dhananjaya de Silva bowling his off-breaks accounted for the wicket of Dhananjaya Lakshan for a well compiled 84 scored off 105 balls with 12 fours.
Lakshan had led the Colombo run chase stitching together partnerships of 65 with Nuwanidu Fernando (23) and 63 with skipper Charith Asalanka who was unbeaten on 29. On Asalanka's broad shoulders rests Colombo’s hopes of pulling off a win. Dambulla on the other hand will be looking to compensate for their loss to Galle in last year’s final.
Dambulla began the day three not too happily placed at 107-6 and with an overall lead of only 183. However, their last four wickets put up stiff resistance to add 115 runs to the total before they were all out for 222.
Overnight batsman Anjala Bandara (32) and spinner Akila Dananjaya came up with a rear guard action adding 45 for the eighth wicket. Dananjaya playing in his 100th first-class match went onto score a fighting half-century – 53* off 80 balls (5 fours) and in the process added a valuable 40 runs for the last wicket with Nisala Abeyratne (9).
Chamod Battage who creamed off the Dambulla top order failed to add to his tally of four wickets with Pramod Madushan and Prabath Jayasuriya feeding on the remaining four wickets.
Scores:
Dambulla 222-9 decl and 222 (o/n 107-6) (Nishan Madushka 43, Vishad Randika 21, Anjala Bandara 32, Akila Dananjaya 53*, Pramod Madushan 2/48, Chamod Battage 4/55, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/16)
Colombo 146 and 154-4 at close (Dhananjaya Lakshan 84, Nuwanidu Fernando 23, Charith Asalanka 29*)
