Another sparkling knock by Sanath

Chris Dhambarage

World Cup discard Sanath Jayasuriya continued to humiliate the national selectors as he starred with bat and ball to spearhead Ruhuna Province to an emphatic 69 run victory over Basnahira Province in their SLC Inter Provincial limited overs cricket tournament match worked off at the SSC ground in Maitland Place yesterday.

The veteran all rounder scored his second successive half century to lift his team to an imposing 283 for 7 having elected to bat first and then snapped up two important wickets to dismiss the opposition for 214 runs. Jayasuriya has now emerged as the highest run getter in this tournament having accumulated a total of 197 runs from three outings at an average of 65.66 and with a strike rate of 87.16.

The dashing left hand opening batsman was in cracking form as he hammered a 67 ball 71 inclusive of two sixes and eight boundaries.

He also gave the team the perfect start while adding 128 runs for the first wicket along with Upul Tharanga who also hit a solid 55 from 83 deliveries with five boundaries.

Ruhuna consolidated their position with Gihan Rupasinghe and Chamara Silva adding a further 52 runs for the third wicket. All rounder Jeewan Mendis struck 38 from 28 deliveries inclusive of four boundaries and Sachithra Serasinghe scored an unbeaten 27 from just 15 deliveries to add the finishing touches for the Ruhuna innings.

Jayasuriya was in the act once again this time with the ball as he captured the prize wicket of opener Tillekeratne Dilshan in the third over having opened the bowling for his team.

He went on to add another wicket to his tally during the second spell and finished with two wickets for 48 from his spell of nine overs. Paceman Nuwan Pradeep also had a good game with three wickets while Suranga Lakmal, Jeewan Mendis and Sachithra Serasinghe had one wicket each.

Basnahira never looked like reaching their opponents target despite two fighting half centuries from Hasantha Fernando and all rounder Angelo Mathews with the pair putting on 60 runs for the fifth wicket. Fernando hoisted one six and struck three boundaries while Mathews had three boundaries during his 62 ball 56. But after their departure the innings simply collapsed and were dismissed for 214 in 44.1 overs.

Ruhuna: 283 for 7 in 50 overs (U. Tharanga 55, S. Jayasuriya 71, C. Silva 40, G. Rupasinghe 29,J. Mendis 38, S. Serasinghe 27 n. o, T. Perera 5 for 51)

Basnahira: 214 in 44.1 overs (C. Vaas 23, H. Fernando 50, A. Mathews 56, T. Sampath 30, S. Jayasuriya 2 for 48, N. Pradeep 3 for 19)

Venues changed for semis and final

Meanwhile the venue of the two semifinals of the Inter Provincial limited overs cricket tournament and the final has also been changed from Pallekele to the R. Premadasa Stadium due to bad weather.

The semifinals will be worked off on January 23 and 24 with the final on January 26 with all matches to be played under lights.