National Super League Limited Over Jaffna seeking revenge in crucial game

Jaffna’s Santhush Gunathilake plays a shot

By M. Shamil Amit

The second-round matches of the ongoing National Super League Limited Over tournament will see two matches up for decision today, with table-leaders Jaffna and second-placed Kandy clashing in a crucial game at Pallekele International Stadium and Colombo meeting Dambulla at the Rangiri Stadium in Dambulla.

The pick of the two clashes is no doubt the encounter between Jaffna and Kandy, which will be a closely contested affair. Jaffna will be seeking to avenge their first-round six-wicket defeat to Kandy, who will be looking for a repeat.
In fact, Kandy was on top after the completion of the first round matches, and Jaffna came out on top with a comfortable 51-run win over the winless Dambulla in their first second round match played at the same venue. However, with the tournament at the halfway stage and the teams battling it out to secure a berth in the final, the match is no doubt going to be of much interest.

The Kandy side has the players whom they could depend on in the likes of Niroshan Dickwella, Oshada Fernando, Sahan Arachchige, Kamindu Mendis, Lasith Croospulle, Pulina Tharanga, and Lasith Embuldeniya, who is yet to make any impression, to spearhead them to keep up the winning momentum.

Jaffna, on the other hand, will bank on Sadeera Samarawickrama, Santhush Gunatileke, Lahiru Thirimanne, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored a ton in the previous game, and Ishan Jayaratne, all of whom will need to make useful contributions if they are to make any impression.

In the other match between Colombo and Dambulla, the scales are in favour of Colombo, and even though they lost their first second-round match to Galle, they will be looking forward to getting back to the winning trend. Dambulla, on the other hand, are yet to see the winning post and it’s going to be a daunting task as they have lost all the five matches that they have played.

Colombo will depend on Ashen Bandara, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Madusanka, and Niwanindu Fernando to steer them back to winning ways, while Dambulla, apart from skipper Ashan Priyanjan, who has been their top player, will be looking forward to the others to combine and make their contributions if they are seeking to chalk up their first win.