Gallant Galle bowled out by bad light

Wednesday, 29 April 2026 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Oshada Fernando and Nipun Dananjaya laid the foundation

for Galle’s run chase

Colombo enter NSL 4-day final for the first time

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Defending champions Galle made a gallant effort to pull off an outright win against Colombo but were stopped dead in their tracks by bad light which forced the match to end in a draw at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday giving Colombo first innings points which enabled them to enter the National Super League 4-day tournament final for the first time.

Galle did well to dismiss Colombo in their second innings for 224 after they resumed at 158-3, and left themselves with a target of 289 to chase in 75 overs which was quite manageable. Having conceded a first innings lead, Galle’s only hope of entering the final was to beat Colombo outright. This they set about in emphatic fashion maintaining a healthy run rate of six an over knowing that bad light could curtail play as it had done over the past three days.

Oshada Fernando (50 off 71 balls, 2 fours) and Nipun Dananjaya (87 off 80 balls, 9 fours) laid the platform for the run chase with a second wicket stand of 124. Despite losing three quick wickets for 26 runs skipper Sadeera Samarawickrama kept up the momentum slamming a quick-fire 52 off 40 balls (4 fours, 1 six) with Kevin Perera contributing 41* (off 43 balls, 2 sixes) and Muditha Lakshan (16* off 16 balls, 1 four, 1 six). But with 18 needed to win, bad light closed in and Galle finished on 271-5 with 31 overs remaining to be bowled. It was a case of so near yet so far for the defending champions.

Despite the odds being heavily in favour of Dambulla, Kandy spearheaded by Ashen Bandara’s pugnacious knock of 94 off 244 balls (9 fours) put up a sturdy display of batting to add 142 runs for their last four wickets to score 366 in reply to Dambulla’s first innings of 451. 20-year-old former Dharmaraja College Kandy seamer Nisala Abeyratne picked up his maiden five-fer (5/106) in first-class cricket playing in only his sixth match. The match ended in a draw at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium, Hambantota with Dambulla winning the contest in the first innings. In the remaining time Dambulla scored 110-3 in their second innings with Lasith Croospulle contributing 50* off 58 balls (5 fours).

Dambulla will play Colombo in the final scheduled to commence on 4 May at the R Premadasa Cricket Stadium.

RESULTS

*At Dambulla:

Match drawn. Colombo win on first innings

Colombo 337 and 224 (o/n 158-3) (Asitha Wanninayake 24, Dhananjaya Lakshan 59, Ranesh Silva 59, Prabath Jayasuriya 28, Udith Madushan 2/32, Keshara Nuwantha 3/83, Asanka Manoj 2/42, Nimsara Atharagalla 3/28)

Galle 273 and 271-5 (Oshada Fernando 50, Nipun Dananjaya 87, Sadeera Samarawickrama 52, Kevin Perera 41*, Kavija Gamage 2/46)

*At Hambantota:

Match drawn. Dambulla win on first innings

Dambulla 451 and 110-3 (Lasith Croospulle 50*, Kavin Bandara 26, Ravindu Fernando 2/22)

Kandy 366 (Pawantha Weerasinghe 60, Vinuka Rubasinghe 70, Sahan Arachchige 58, Ashen Bandara 94, Wanuja Sahan 25, Kavindu Pathiratne 2/65, Nisala Abeyratne 5/106)