Colombo stares at Jaffna’s jumbo total despite Roshen’s 147*
National Test discard Roshen Silva was seen fighting a lone battle in an unbeaten 147 and stranded from his and his team’s score and still 246 behind of Jaffna’s gigantic 555 at stumps in the other opening match.
Colombo, in reply to the northern team’s larger-than-life first innings total, saw it’s batters recklessly abandoning the ship in their game played at Hambantota.
At one point, they were tottering at five down for 59, when Sri Lanka U19 captain Dunith Wellalage found his second victim. Desperately in need of a rescue is when, Roshen Silva rose to the occasion with his single handed rescue mission of hitting a magnificent 147, on the back of 16 fours. During the knock, he also associated himself in few 50+ partnerships that carried past the team beyond the 200-run mark.
Silva, a test material, and having last featured in an international match only in 2019, made a strong case to return to the national side.
Jaffna batting first, amassed a commanding total with several batters making merry of Colombo’s bowling. As many as half-a-dozen of them crossed the half-century mark with Saminda Fernando cracking a fluent 141. Their captain Sadeera Samarawickrama too, added insult to injury hitting a 58. Prabath Jayasuriya was the only pick of the bowlers picking up a six for 169
Chief scores:
Jaffna: 1st innings: 555 (173.4) (Saminda Fernando 141, Navod Pathirana 77, Dunith Wellalage 74, Geeth Kumara 63*, Santhush Gunathilake 61, Prabath Jaysuriya 6-169)
Colombo: 1st innings: 309 for eight (91) (Roshen Silva 147 n.o., Dunith Wellalage 2-93, Kasun Madushanka 1-25)