An all-round performance steered Team Dambulla to a 132 runs win over Team Jaffna in the semi-final of the National Super League 4-day tourney worked off at P. Sara Oval.  Dambulla declared their second innings at 274/9 in the morning session on day four, setting Team Jaffna a mammoth target of 465.

Team Jaffna got off to a brilliant start during the run chase as their opening pair Navod Paranavithana and Ron Chandraguptha added a 76-run partnership for the first wicket. Despite a steady start Team Jaffna faced a major batting collapse after losing their first two wickets and were reduced to 7 wickets for just 95 runs. Ravindu Fernando fought a lone battle from down the order scoring a brisk century to raise the score to 331, but it wasn’t enough for his side as Dambulla clinched a convincing win in the end.

Spinners Chalana de Silva and Ashan Priyanjan impressed with the ball for the victorious Team Dambulla taking 3 wickets each. Earlier Wanindu Hasaranga’s entertaining knock of 95 runs off 66 balls with 7 fours and 6 sixes was the highlight of Team Dambulla’s second innings. Meanwhile, the other semi-final between Team Galle and Team Kandy ended in a draw at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.

However, Team Galle who claimed first innings points qualified for the final.

Brief scores:

Team Dambulla: 426 and 274-9 (Wanindu Hasaranga 95, Pavan Rathnayake 47, Shashika Dulshan 3-77)

Team Jaffna: 236 and 331 (Ravindu Fernando 131, Navod Paranavithana 51, Chalana de Silva 3-86, Ashan Priyanjan 3-61)