National Super League 4-day tournament  Jaffna, Kandy pile up massive first innings totals 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq 

 Kandy and Jaffna piled up massive first innings totals to put themselves in a position to push for victory on the second day of the National Super League 4-day tournament that was continued at Galle and Hambantota yesterday. 

The Army’s right-arm medium-fast bowler Heshan Hettiarachchi took four wickets for 17 runs off 4.1 overs to cause a Kandy slump as they lost their last six wickets for 61 runs to be all out for 482. Hettiarachchi who was wicketless conceding 47 runs on day one caused the Kandy collapse by having Sahan Arachchige caught for a composed 52 off 94 balls (four fours, one six) and then added a further three to have them all out by the lunch break. Left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi picked up two important wickets that of Kandy Skipper Kamindu Mendis who went onto complete his third first-class hundred in 16 matches (111 off 166 balls, 14 fours) and Thikshila de Silva for seven to end with figures of 3 for 120. 

Pabasara Waduge led Galle’s reply with his seventh first-class hundred being unbeaten on 100 scored off 167 balls (six fours, four sixes). Galle trail Kandy by 297 runs. 

Sri Lanka Under-19 Captain Dunith Wellalage continued to impress with the bat when he completed his maiden first-class fifty and figured in a 94-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Santhush Gunathilaka to enable Jaffna pile up a massive 555. Wellalage struck 11 fours in his 145-ball innings of 74, and Gunathilaka, a patient 61 off 162 balls (six fours). Geeth Kumara piled further frustration on the Colombo bowlers with a half century off 99 balls and was unbeaten on 63 when the innings ended. Prabath Jayasuriya, SSC’s left-arm spinner bowled a marathon spell of 62.4 overs to take 6 for 169, his 15th five-for in 58 first-class matches. 

Colombo got off to a worst start losing two early wickets for three runs with Wellalage scalping one of them to end the day on a high. Colombo who trail by 552 runs face a daunting task in the next two days. The matches will continue on the third day today.     

 SECOND DAY SCORES: 

 +At Galle: Kandy 482 (o/n 373-4) (Lahiru Udara 92, Lasith Croospulle 93, Oshada Fernando 35, Kamindu Mendis 111, Kasun Vidura 58, Sahan Arachchige 52, Pulina Tharanga 20, Heshan Hettiarachchi 4/64, Nimesh Vimukthi 3/120, Chanaka Ruwansiri 2/96) 

 Galle 185-3 (58) at close (Sangeeth Cooray 36, Pabasara Waduge 100*, Hashan Dumindu 23) 

+At Hambantota:  Jaffna 555 (o/n 311-4) (Navod Paranavithana 77, Saminda Fernando 141, Sadeera Samarawickrama 58, Kalhara Senaratne 29, Dunith Wellalage 74, Santhush Gunathilaka 61, Geeth Kumara 63*, Lahiru Madushanka 2/69, Prabath Jayasuriya 6/169, Sammu Ashan 2/62).   

Colombo 3-2 (4) at close.