The intra-squad 50-over match between Karunaratne’s XI vs Dickwella’s XI concluded as a no-result due to bad light today (30) at Pallekele ICS.
After successfully conducting a Residential Training Camp for 13 players (predominantly the bowlers) from the 1st to the 12th of June in Colombo, SLC had taken measures to add 11 more players, mostly batsmen, to the contingency. This took the overall tally to a group of 24 players, all of who would go through training for 10 days at Pallekele from the 22nd of June to the 2nd of July. During this training camp, the Sri Lanka Cricket Head Coach and the supporting staff conducted a 50-over practice match between the members of the National Squad to test the fitness and match-readiness of the players.
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The teams were led by Sri Lanka Cricket skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who won the toss and decided to bat first.
Dhanushka Gunathilaka and captain Dickwella himself opened the innings, and put on a solid partnership for the 1st wicket. Gunathilake was done on 41, but the innings was headlined by the partnership between Dickwella and former skipper Dinesh Chandimal, as the pair guided Dickwella’s XI to 346 at the end of 50 overs.
Dickwella raced to a 100-ball 127 including 14 boundaries and 1 six, while Chandimal vexed the bowlers with an unbeaten century on his own. He decorated his 117 with 9 boundaries and 4 sixes.
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Karunaratne’s XI’s main striker, Lahiru Kumara, was hammered for 72 runs in his bowling quota but managed to pick up 3 wickets.
In reply, the skipper of Karunaratne’s XI couldn’t succeed with the bat as the batting order collapsed under pressure, before Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhananjaya de Silva steadied the ship with 49, 40 respectively.
Finally the all-rounder Thisara Perera rescued Karunaratne XI and blasted a rampant century in just 72 balls, which included 7 maximums. He remained unbeaten on 101, until the umpires called for bad light and play was stopped, as Karunaratne’s XI needed 57 runs from 27 balls to win.
The next intra-squad match will be played at the same ground as a T20 contest tomorrow (1st July) from 1 pm onwards.
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Brief Scores
Dickwella’s team – 346/8 (50) Niroshan Dickwella 127 (100 b, 4×14, 6×1), Dinesh Chandimal 117* (100 b, 4×9, 6×4), Danushka Gunathilake 41, Lahiru Kumara 3/72, Dhananjaya De Silva 2/30.
Karunaratne’s XI – 292/7 (45.3) Thisara Perera 101* (72b, 4×6,6×7), D De Silva 49(45b, 4*6, 0*6), Lahiru Thirimanne 45(50b, 4*4, 0*6), Kusal Mendis 22, Rajitha 2/77, Hasaranga 2/50, Pradeep 2/46
 at Pallekele ICS.){kind=link}