Galle and Dambulla teams will meet National Super League (NSL) four-day cricket final today at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
The Galle team led by Sangeeth Cooray is a well-balanced side and their batsmen have a strong focus on their capabilities. The Dambulla team is led by wicketkeeper Minod Bhanuka and have a strong bowling attack to clash with Galle’s batsmen as key National leg spinner Wanindu Hasarsnga is in the team.
Galle has a good advantage as they have scored heavily in a few matches. The previous semi-final encounter between Galle and Kandy saw a couple of standout performances with one of them being Galle as they scored a massive 658 for 9 wickets to gain a first-innings win over defending champions Kandy. Pasindu Sooriyabandara who was the Man of the Match hammered 241 to build up a massive total for Galle.
Their top-order batsmen are in good form while opener Sohan de Livera hit back-to-back centuries in the last two games with co-opener/skipper Sangeeth Cooray, Lakshan Edirisinghe, and Sooriyabandara becoming centurions to help set up the side’s victory. The young bowling all-rounder Dunith Wellalage, leg spinner Suminda Lakshan and paceman Kavishka Anjula also made useful contributions to build up the total.
Galle’s bowling department consists of two pacemen Kavishka Anjula and Mohammed Shiraz while Wellalage, Suminda Lakshan, and Praveen Jayawickrama give the much-needed thrust to the spin attack.
The Galle team is very confident to win the game without their key experienced players Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal both of whom were absent for the semi-final game due to being away with the National squad ahead of the Test series in New Zealand. The eleven-player team which has not been finalised yet may see the inclusion of all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan, Praveen Jayawickrama, and Asanka Manoj who have the chance to qualify for the final eleven today.
Meanwhile, Dambulla made a late entry into the semi-final in a tight game against Colombo and has a good side with fighting skills. The presence of Wanindu Hasarsnga after his franchise tournaments already proved last game when he scored a quick knock of 95 and took 6 for 46 to beat Jaffna by 132 runs to enter the final. The most successful leg spinner of the recently concluded Sri Lanka A series against England Lions Dushan Hemantha also in the Dambulla team while all-rounder Ashan Priyanjan and Lahiru Samarakoon added a good start with the new ball and they are expected to pose a good challenge to break the Galle batting lineup.
The openers Gayan Maneeshan and young Abhishek Liyanarachchi, young Pawan Ratnayake who scored a fighting century in the semi-final, and skipper Minod Bhanuka all are in good form while hard hitting Hasarsnga will add more runs to build up the total. Bhanuka hit 182 in their previous game while making further half-centuries to preserve his form.
Dambulla head coach Upul Chandana is no stranger to the Galle ground while bowling coach Sajeewa Weerakoon, assistant coaches Tharanga Dhammika and Pasan Wanasinghe and acting manager Vinothan John and selector Nalliah Dewarajan (Dambulla selector Chandana Guruge at overseas) have a plan where Dambulla players will have to execute smoothly to win. The Galle wicket this time has more grass good for the batters while whoever wins the toss is most probably going to field first today. The first two hours of today are very vital for both sides and later on, on the second and third day, the wicket might suit the spinners but the two sides have good all-rounders and are expected to play a good final.
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