A SUPERIOR team effort by Nalanda helped them to cruise to an easy 5-wicket win over Ananda in the 23rd limited over cricket encounter at the SSC grounds.
Ananda were 207 for 9 off their stipulated 50 overs and Nalanda reached the required runs with utmost ease for the loss of 5 wickets with 7.3 overs to spare.
Ananda failed to capitalise on a good first wicket stand and the middle order gave a dismal batting performance when they were sent into bat. Openers Rasika Ranasinghe (33) and Lahiru Chaturanga (48) put on 61 but steady bowling backed up by keen fielding put the rest of the Ananda batting in disarray. Four of their batsmen were run out at crucial moments and Ananda lost their way to be 207 for 9. Skipper Indika Konara and Jithendra Perera who put on 48 valuable runs for the fourth wicket saw them reach their final destination of 207 for 9.
Besides the two openers, Jithendra Perera (20). Eranga Handunettige and Chandimal Dharmapala 18 each were among the runs.
In Nalanda's turn, skipper Shantha Kalavitigoda (58) batting at number three batted aggressively scoring his 50 off 33 deliveries with nine fours. Kalavitigoda received admirable support from opener left- hander Danuka Dayaratne (77) and the pair added 84 runs for the second wicket. Dayaratne had four boundaries and a six utilising 76 balls. Once Kalavitigoda was out, caught by Rajith Basnayake at backward of point the Nalanda innings slowed down considerably.
However, Dayaratne combining with Pradeep Porage (16) batted with assurance to drive Nalanda closer towards the victory target with fine 57 runs stand for the third wicket.
Kalavitigoda's final score of 58 had 11 fours which included four successive hits to the ropes off left arm spinner Maduranga Mallawarachchi.
Rasika Ranasinghe c Dissanayake b Amarasinghe 33 Lahiru Chaturanga run out 48 Rajitha Basnayake c Hedigalle b Kalavitigoda 6 Indika Konara c Porage b Dayaratne 35 Jithendra Perera c Dissanayake b de Silva 20 Thilina Kandambi c Porage b Dayaratne 3 Eranga Handunettige run out 18 Chandimal Dharmapala run out 18 Maduranga Mallawarachchi run out 1 Nuwan Jayawardena not out 2 Sajith Rupasinghe not out 1 Extras (B-2, LB-5, W-14, NB-1) 22 TOTAL (for 9 wkts off 50 overs in 208 mtes) 207 FALL OF WICKETS: 61, 78, 106, 154, 157, 169, 192, 194, 205.
BOWLING: Ishara Amarasinghe 10-2-29-1 Buddika Ranaweera 4-1-22-0 Kelum Gangodawila 10-0-41-0 Sriyan de Silva 10-0-36-1 Shantha Kalavitigoda 4-0-20-1 Danthila Dayaratne 10-0-42-2 Pradeep Hedigalle 2-0-10-0
Sanjaya Rodrigo b Rupasinghe 7 Danuka Dayaratne c Jayawardena b Konara 77 Shantha Kalavitigoda c Basnayake b Jayaratne 58 Nuwan Porage c and b Konara 25 Pradeep Hedigalle lbw b Jayawardena 16 Sriyan de Silva not out 6 Danthila Dayaratne not out 4 Extras (W-16, NB-1) 17 TOTAL (for 5 wkts off 42.3 overs) 210 FALL OF WICKETS: 33, 117, 174, 194, 203. BOWLING: Chandimal Dharmapala 3-1- 8-0 Eranga Handunettige 2-0-12-0 Maduranga Mallawarachchi 5-0-37-0 Sajith Rupasinghe 10-1-44-1 Nuwan Jayawardena 10-0-47-2 Indika Konara 10-1-36-2 Rajith Basnayaka 2-1- 3-0 Jithendra Perera 0.3-0-4-0 Note: This article was obtained from the Celyon Daily News.