Sri Lankan Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne is back on the saddle again in the limited over tournament when he stroked 59 in an equal number of balls striking with 8 fours also adding 80 runs for the open wicket with Sithara Gimhan (37 in 38 balls) which guided Colombo to gain a six-wicket win over Kandy in their National Super League (NSL) cricket match played at P. Sara Oval grounds yesterday.
Karunaratne also captained the Colombo side yesterday leading from the front while the two youngsters, Nuwanidu Fernando (67 in 84 balls) and Nipun Dhananjaya (70 not out in 79 balls) paved the way to chase the total of 272 with 11 balls to spare.
Earlier, Kandy scored 271 (all-out) with Sahan Arachchige top scored with 86 in 85 balls with 9 fours and a six. Two pacemen Kalana Perera 3 for 40 and Lahiru Madushanka 4 for 54 took bowling honours for the Colombo team.
Meanwhile, two pacemen Heshan Hettiarachchi and Dhananjaya Lakshan took three wickets each as Galle defeated Dambulla by three wickets in their NSL match played at SSC grounds yesterday.
Dambulla scored 165 all out in 50 overs while Galle reached their target in 34.2 overs with three wickets in hand. This was Dambulla's back-to-back third defeat in this tournament. Galle led by Priyamal Perera for the first time with the absence of Dinesh Chandimal, who is engaged with national training for the next Australian T20 series, secured their second win.
The players who were already selected for the national squad for the Australia tour have not been involved in this tournament from yesterday's matches and they are already in a separate bubble for their training.
Chief scores
*At P. Sara Oval grounds. Colombo beat Kandy by 6 wickets.
Kandy: 271 all out in 50 overs (Niroshan Dikwella 16, Lasith Croospulle 33, Kamindu Mendis 35, Sahan Arachchige 86, Thikshila de Silva 27, Pulina Thranga 36, Lasith Embuldeniya 10, Kalana Perera 3/40,Lahiru Madushanka 4/54, Tharindu Ratnayake 2/35)
Colombo: 274 for 4 wickets in 48.1 overs (Sithara Gimhan 37, Dimuth Karunaratne 59, Nuwanidu Fernando 67, Nipun Dhananjaya 70*, Ashen Bandara 33*, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/48)
*At SSC grounds. Galle beat Dambulla by 3 wickets.
Dambulla: 165 all out in 49.3 overs (Leo Francisco 11, Pavan Ratnayake 44, Dushsn Hemamtha 25, Lakshan Sandakan 34, Vishwa Fernando 14 *, Heshan Hettiarachchi 3/31, Dhananjaya Lakshan 3/40, Muditha Lakshan 2/23)
Galle: 166 for 7 wickets in 34.2 overs (Pabasara Waduge 12, Dhananjaya Lakshan 32, Ashan Randika 49, Muditha Lakshan 37*, Jehan Daniel 14, Lahiru Samarakoon 3/37, Ashan Priyanjan 2/38)
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