Revata S. Silva reporting from Dambulla

Right-handed Sri Lanka ‘A’ batsman, Shantha Kalavitigoda scored a solid 152 to put his team, North Central Province, in the box seat against the strong Southern Province in their four-day Provincial Tournament fixture which continued at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium here on Sanday.

NCP piled up 502 for 8 wickets declared in reply to the Southerners’ disappointing first innings total of 86 to enjoy a massive lead of 416. Southern Province, who are under Sri Lanka national skipper Marvan Atapattu, were 59 for 3 at close yesterday, the second day of the match, while still trailing NCP by 357 runs with 7 wickets in hand.

Atapattu (5), Sanath Jayasuriya (27) and Saman Jayantha (0) repeated their poor form, that was seen on the first day’s play, and gave their wickets in quick succession as Nuwan Kulasekara scalped the latter two for 28 to leave the Southerners with the uphill task of surviving the next two days of the match.

Kalvitigoda, former SSC and Colts CC player, who was adjudged the Best Batsman during the local Premier Cricket Tournament, 2003-04, patiently added 26 in 46 balls yesterday to his overnight score of 126 while passing his individual 150 mark and adding only four fours to his overnight tally of 19. The 27 year-old opening bat shared a mammoth 221 run stand for the second wicket with Gayan Wijekoon.

Wijekoon the 29 year-old left-hander who earlier represented Chilaw Marians, could not last long after resuming from his overnight 78 and was bowled by Jayasuriya for 84 in the third over of the day’s play. He faced 166 balls in his resilient knock hitting 13 boundaries.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardena (25) added 42 with Kalavitigoda for the third wicket before a sudden rush of blood saw him being stumped by Prasanna Jayawardena off Jayasuriya, who claimed three wickets. Jayasuriya also claimed the price scalp of Kalavitigoda by trapping him in front of the wicket (320 for 4).

Tillakaratne Dilshan (34 in 53 balls) went as the fifth wicket in the penultimate over before lunch with NCP strongly placed at 364 for five. Upul Chandana and Kumar Dharmasena shared 89 runs for the sixth wicket with Chandana contributing with a gutsy fifty (56 in 129 balls). Dharmasena scored 37 in 107 deliveries and Farveez Maharoof swelled their total from 456 for 7 to see them pass the imposing 500 mark with Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara chipping in with some runs.

Maharoof made a quick unbeaten 25 in 35 before Jayawardena declared the innings with a minimum of 15 overs left for the Southerners to bat.

Day three- Southern Province were 214 for the loss of seven wickets at the time of going to press. They trail by 202 runs with three wickets in hand.

North Central Province 1st innings

D.A. Gunawardene c Wickramaratne b Prasad 23

S. Kalavitigoda lbw b Jayasuriya 152

G.R. Wijekoon b Jayasuriya 84

M Jayawardene st Jayawardene b Jayasuriya 25

T.M. Dilshan c Wickramaratne b Fernando 34

U Chandana c Prasad b Perera 56

K Dharmasena c Atapattu b Malinga 37

F Maharoof not out 25

R Herath lbw b Malinga 8

N Kulasekaranot out 14

Extras (lb 9, w 3, nb 32) 44

Did Not Bat- P.N. Ranjith.

FoW: 1-46 (Gunawardene), 2-267 (Wijekoon), 3-309 (Jayawardene), 4-320 (Kalavitigoda), 5-363 (Dilshan), 6-452 (Chandana), 7-456 (Dharmasena), 8-473 (Herath).

Bowling: Malinga 29 - 8 -73- 2 (1nb, 2w) Fernando 25 -2-85-1 (11nb, 1w) Prasad 20-2 -99-1 (20nb) Polonowita 7 - 1 - 18- 0 Perera 23-7 -86 -1 Jayasuriya 30- 2 -113- 3 Jayantha 6- 2-19-0

M Atapattu lbw b Ramyakumara 5

S Jayasuriya c Dilshan b Kulasekara 27

A.S. Polonowita not out 13

S Jayantha c Dilshan b Kulasekara 0

P Jayawardene not out 3

Extras (b 4, nb 7) 11

FoW: 1-19 (Atapattu), 2-42 (Jayasuriya), 3-42 (Jayantha)