Galle retain title as rain has final say

GALLE captained by National Test Cricketer Ramesh Mendis retained the National Super League 4-day title for another year when they won the 4-day final against Dambulla on the first innings at the SSC grounds yesterday.

- BY SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

The match ended in a draw with Galle batting out the first two sessions of the fourth and final day carrying their second innings total to 246-5 before rain drove the players for an early tea and subsequently terminated the match. Galle scored 370 in their first innings and dismissed Dambulla for 313 to gain a 57-run lead in the first innings.

Last year Galle beat Kandy by 7 wickets to win the title.

Resuming at 139-4 Galle lost the wicket of Dinesh Chandimal for 64 (138 balls, 5 fours), but Dunith Wellalage and Ramesh Mendis came together in an unbroken stand of 84 with each of them scoring a fifty. Wellalage scored 59* off 139 balls (4 fours, 1 six) and Mendis 50* off 84 balls (4 fours).

One of the key factors in Galle's win was that they managed to tackle the spin of the tournament's leading wicket-taker Akila Dananjaya successfully allowing him just two wickets in the entire match whilst taking 190 runs off his bowling.