Kandy beat Jaffna to regain lead in NSL 4-day standings

Kandy overcame the initial threat of former Sri Lanka white ball seamer Lahiru Madushanka who snapped up three of the first four wickets to fall for 35 runs, to beat Jaffna by five wickets at the R Premadasa Stadium yesterday and regain the lead in the National Super League 4-day tournament.

Left with a target of 184 to chase after they had dismissed Jaffna for 291 in their second innings, Kandy had to rely on the batting skills of Sahan Arachchige (50* off 73 balls, 2 fours, 1 six), Ahan Wickramasinghe (47 off 59 balls, 5 fours) and Sri Lanka white ball all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne who followed his first innings knock of 71 with 51* off 44 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) to see them home. The match between defending champions Dambulla and Colombo which has been affected throughout by rain and bad light ended in a draw at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Hambantota.

Dambulla won the contest on the first innings having gained a lead of 30 runs. Dambulla closed their second innings at 299-9 leaving Colombo with the task of chasing down 330. But bad light brought an early finish to the match with Colombo on 159-4. 

– (ST).

RESULTS:

+At R Premadasa Stadium: Kandy beat Jaffna by five wickets.

Jaffna 261 and 291 (o/n 252-8) (Hasitha Boyagoda 26, Nipun Karunanayake 94, Lahiru Madushanka 20, Ravindu Fernando 58, Nipun Malinga 20*, Ashian Daniel 3/44, Wanuja Sahan 3/59)

Kandy 369 and 185-5 (Sahan Arachchige 50*, Ahan Wickramasinghe 47, Chamika Karunaratne 51*, Lahiru Madushanka 3/38)

+At Hambantota: Match Drawn (Dambulla won on first innings)

Dambulla 240 and 299-9 decl (o/n 226-7) (Minod Bhanuka 83, Sanoj Darshika 21, Sonal Dinusha 31, Chamindu Wijesinghe 28, Dushan Hemantha 28, Naveen Fernando 51*, Nisala Tharaka 3/48, Nuwanidu Fernando 3/54)

Colombo 210 and 159-4 (Heshan Dhanushka 27, Krishan Sanjula 58, Nipun Dananjaya 25, Dasun Shanaka 26*)