Dickwella smashes century, Jaffna to meet Kandy in final

By M. Shamil Amit   

Niroshan Dickwella issued a timely reminder to national selectors with a brilliant century against Galle in the National Super League Limited Over Tournament, leading his side to a 66-run win at the Pallekele Stadium today. 
  
Its Kandy’s sixth win, and despite already guaranteed a place in the final, the result ensured that they ended as the best team of the Group Stage, eight points clear of Jaffna.   

Even as Sri Lanka’s top order struggles in Australia, Dickwella was in fine flow with 17 boundaries and two sixes scoring at more than a run a ball, with his 135 coming off 104 deliveries.   

Dickwella played his part in a commanding opening wicket partnership with Lahiru Udara that lasted a little over 35 overs of the innings, before he was caught off the bowling of Chalana de Silva for 135.   

Kandy lost three more wickets in quick succession, as Galle clawed their way back, but Kandy skipper Kamindu Mendis held his team’s innings together with 58 off 41 deliveries and ensuring they posted a more than competitive score of 343 off 50 overs.
   
Chalana De Silva was the pick of the Galle bowlers with 3 for 38 in his 10 overs.  
 
A quick start from Pabasara Waduge and Ashan Randika gave Galle a good early platform, but right-arm off-spinner Ashian Daniel ran through the opposition’s top order and reducing them to 5 for 109. 
  
The innings was sparked back to life with a sixth-wicket partnership between Kavishka Anjula and Vishad Randika, before the former was caught for 90, with Galle needing a further 101 off the last 56 deliveries. 
  
The innings was wrapped up 34 runs later, with Galle bowled out for 277.   

Galle, who were third on the points table before today’s final Group Stage matches, needed to beat Kandy and then hope for Colombo to get the better of Jaffna, to book a place in the final.   

However, neither permutation played out, with Jaffna qualifying for the final with a four wicket win over Colombo at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium.  
 
Colombo were restricted to 195 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Roshen Silva top scoring with 64, and second-highest run scorer of the tournament, Nuwanidu Fernando, contributing 37.   

Dhananjaya de Silva and Nuwan Pradeep accounted for two wickets each, but de Silva made a bigger contribution with the bat with a match-winning unbeaten half-century.   

The Jaffna skipper struck eight boundaries and associated in a 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Santhush Gunathilake that brought Jaffna with 54 runs of victory. 
  
They lost two wickets after Gunathilake was stumped for 30, but reached the target with 19 deliveries in hand. 

Brief scores: 
Kandy beat Galle by 66 runs
Kandy 343 for 6 in 50 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 135, Lahiru Udara 106, Kamindu Mendis 58; Chalana de Silva 3 for 38)   
Galle 277 (Kavishka Anjula 90, Vishad Randika 47, Pabasara Waduge 42; Ashian Daniel 4 for 46, Pulina Tharanga 3 for 35)   

Jaffna beat Colombo by 4 wickets
Colombo 195 for 8 in 50 overs (Roshen Silva 64, Nuwanidu Fernando 37, Nipun Dananjaya 24, Nuwan Pradeep 2 for 22, Dhananjaya de Silva 2 for 42)   
Jaffna 198 for 6 in 46.5 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 79 n.o., Sadeera Samarawickrama 39, Santhush Gunathilake 30, Tharindu Ratnayake 2 for 44)