Questions Raised: Anti-climax at super league final

Sri Lanka discard Mohamed Shiraz scalps four.

By. M. Shamil Amit

May.07 (Mirror Sports) - It was a day on which either team had to fight hard down to the wire to win the final of what was called the National Super League at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo today. Instead a four wicket haul by right arm fast bowler Mohamed Shiraz paved the way for Dambulla to record a comfortable 119 runs win over Colombo.

Dambulla bagged Rs.5 million for winning while Colombo took away Rs. 3 million for losing the final. On the third and final day, Colombo in pursuit of 299 runs for victory and resuming from their overnight score of 154 for 4 succumbed to Shiraz who bagged three scalps to signal the victory as Colombo lost their remaining six wickets for just 25 runs. Colombo could not last more than 10.4 overs on the deciding day raising questions.

Shiraz 31, who has played in just two ODI matches for Sri Lanka with the last against New Zealand in November 2024, was well supported by fellow paceman Nisala Abeyratne as the duo combined to bundle out Colombo for 179. Kavindu Pathiratne, a 23 year old uncapped fast bowler from Royal College, playing for Dambulla bagged two awards as the most valuable player for which he babbed Rs. 1.5 million and player of the final Rs. 750,000 while Sadeera Samarawickerama of Galle and Chamod Battage of Colombo were adjudged the best batsman and best bowler of the tournament respectively for a prize of Rs. 1 million each.

• Scores:

Dambulla 222 for 9 declared (Sonal Dinusha 51, Anjala Bandara 40, Pavan Ratnayake 39, Vishad Randika 23, Lasith Ceoospulle 16, Dhananjaya de Silva 15: Prabath Jayasuirya 4/54, Janith Liyanage 2/18, Dhananjaya Lakshan 2/42) and (107/6 overnight) 222 (Nishan Madushka 43, Anjala Bandara 32, Vishad Randika 21, Kavindu Pathiratne 17, Akila Dananjaya 53 n.o.: Chamod Battage 4/21, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/16, Pramod Madushan 2/48)

Colombo 146 (Sharujan Shanmuganathan 44, Charith Asalanka 27, Kavija Gamage 25, Prabath Jayasuriya 19: Kavindu Pathiratne 5/51, Akila Dananjaya 3/17) and (154/4 overnight) 179 (Dhananjaua Lakshan 84, Charith Asalanka 35, Nuwanidu Fernando 23: Mohamed Shiraz 4/38, Nisala Abeyratne 2/23).