Madushka (126), Shanaka (100) lead Dambulla’s fabulous run chase

Nishan Madushka and Dasun Shanaka during their match winning stand of 150 off 101 balls for Dambulla

Dambulla spinner Akila Dananjaya is congratulated by team mates after taking ten-wicket haul 

• Chase down target of 392 to go table top
• 4th National Super League tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Magnificent centuries by Dasun Shanaka and Nishan Madushka saw Dambulla chase down a tall target of 392 and beat Kandy by four wickets with 7.1 overs to spare on the fourth and final day of their National Super League 4-day match concluded at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The win catapulted Dambulla to the top of the table ahead of defending champions Galle who are second. With this game, last year’s finalists Kandy complete their league fixtures and have no chance of making it to the final which they had done twice in the past.

Shanaka actually set the tone for Dambulla’s successful run chase with a brilliant onslaught on the Kandy bowlers racing to a century off 54 balls inclusive of 6 sixes and 9 fours before being dismissed. It left Dambulla with the task of scoring 104 off 25 overs.

With Madushka going strong at one end Dambulla duly achieved their objective. Madushka struck 7 fours and 2 sixes in his 126 scored off 153 balls. He shared a match-winning partnership of 150 off 101 balls with Shanaka, after giving his team a head start by posting an opening stand of 136 off 30 overs with Ron Chandraguptha (64 off 89 balls, 8 fours).

Kandy who left themselves 72 overs to bowl Dambulla out came second best in this match thanks to the aggression displayed by Shanaka and Madushka. Kandy momentarily came back into the game when left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkara dismissed Dinura Kalupahana (22) and skipper Dhananjaya de Silva (0) in the 55th over shortly before the drinks break which left Dambulla with 66 to get off 17.2 overs. But Sahan Kosala (23 off 23 balls) and Vishad Randika (35* off 36 balls) ensured there would be no further hiccups as Dambulla coasted home quite easily in the end.

Earlier, Kandy closed their second innings at 278-9 resuming from 190-5 with contributions of 101 (173 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) from Pawantha Weerasinghe and 74 (101 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) from Ravindu Fernando. In another exceptional display of spin bowling Akila Dananjaya went onto take his third successive ten-wicket match bag in as many matches finishing with 10/227 that included 5/87 in the Kandy second innings. 

With bad light and rain curtailing play throughout the match Galle had to be content with only first innings points against Jaffna which ended in a draw at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium, Hambantota.

Jaffna trailing Galle by 66 runs in the first innings, reached 354-5 after resuming at 135-2. Bad light allowed only 49 overs to be bowled for the day but it was sufficient time for former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to score his 31st first-class century and Shevon Daniel and Niroshan Dickwella to make fifties apiece.

Mathews pieced together 103 off 167 balls (9 fours) and Daniel missed out on a hundred by four when he was dismissed for 96 (115 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes). Dickwella (60* off 69 balls, 6 fours) gave the innings a late impetus with a stand of 126 with Mathews before the light faded.

Results:

At Hambantota: Match Drawn (Galle won on 1st innings)

Jaffna 305 and 354-5 (o/n 135-2) (Ravindu Rasantha 20, Shevon Daniel 96, Thanuka Dabare 44, Angelo Mathews 103, Niroshan Dickwella 60*, Nisala Tharaka 2/34)

Galle 371;

At R. Premadasa Stadium: Dambulla beat Kandy by 4 wickets 

Kandy 453 and 278-9 decl. (o/n 190-5) (Janishka Perera 27, Pawantha Weerasinghe 101, Sohan de Livera 32, Ravindu Fernando 74, Dulaj Samuditha 2/47, Akila Dananjaya 5/87)

Dambulla 340 and 392-6 (Nishan Madushka 126, Ron Chandraguptha 64, Dasun Shanaka 100, Dinura Kalupahana 24, Sahan Kosala 23, Vishad Randika 35*, Shiran Fernando 2/54, Sahan Nanayakkara 3/115)