Lahiru, Oshada and Pulina steer Kandy to third win

Pulina Tharanga took 6 for 29

By M. Shamil Amit

Lahiru Udara and Oshada Fernando cracked half tons while spinner Pulina Tharanga ended with an impressive six-wicket haul as the trio combined for Kandy to pull off a convincing 96-run win over Galle in the National Super League Limited Over tournament encounter played at P Sara Stadium yesterday.   

Kandy, invited to take first lease of the wicket helped by Udara and Fernando’s knocks of 63 and 56 respectively and supported by useful knocks from Niroshan Dickwella and Lasith Croospulle, made a formidable score of 269 runs and Galle in their turn succumbed to Tharanga who ended with figures of 6 for 29.   

Galle in their run chase underwent an early setback losing their first wicket with the score on four before Pabasara Waduge and Ashan Randika shared a 52-run stand for the second wicket.   

From there on they were made to struggle for their runs and in between lost quick wickets as they slipped to 106 for 6 at the halfway stage of the innings. 

They never recovered and a brief stand of 36 runs for the ninth wicket came too late and as they were bowled out for 173 runs for Kandy to chalk up their third win of the tournament. 

Elsewhere, openers Sadeera Samarawickrama and Lahiru Thirimanne shone with half tons as the duo spearheaded Jaffna to a comfortable six-wicket win over Colombo in another match of the same tournament played at the SSC ground to record their third win of the tournament. 

 
Jaffna, in pursuit of 248 runs for victory, were given a flying start by Samarawickrema and Thrimanne who together put on 81 runs before they were separated with the dismissal of Thirimanne. Samarawickrema associated in another valuable partnership of 72 runs for the second wicket with Damitha Silva.   

Earlier Colombo suffered mixed fortunes as they lost their top four wickets with just 47 runs on the board. They recovered thanks to a 111-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ashen Bandara and Sammu Ashan before they were restricted for a score of 247 runs. 

 
Results:

At P Sara Stadium – Kandy won by 96 runs 
Kandy 269 in 47.3 overs (Lahiru Udara 63, Oshada Fernando 56, Niroshan Dickwella 46, Lasith Croospulle 46, Sahan Arachchige 21, Pulina Tharanga 20 n.o.: Akila Dhananjaya 5 for 61, Kavishka Anjula 2 for 34)   
Galle 173 in 42.2 overs (Pabasara Waduge 50, Ashan Randika 28, Nimesh Vimukthi 22, Heshan Hettiarachchi 21: Pulina Tharanga 6 for 29, Lasith Embuldeniya 2 for 36)   
At SSC – Jaffna won by six wickets
Colombo 247 for 8 in 50 overs (Ashen Bandara 75, Sammu Ashan 43, Lahiru Madusanka 42, Sithara Gimhan 18, Tharindu Ratnayake 17: Nimanda Madusanka 4 for 39)   
Jaffna 248 for 4 in 46 overs (Lahiru Thirimanne 56, Damitha Silva 27, Ravindu Fernando 27, Sadeera Samarawickrama 91 n.o., Santhush Gunatileke 25 n.o.: Tharindu Ratnayake 2 for 56)