| Video Credit: Shayan Acharya

Few cricket grounds are blessed with natural beauty Dambulla is. Cradled by rolling green hills and overlooking the tranquil waters of the Ibbankatuwa Lake, the Rangiri International Stadium is a postcard come to life.

With the sun dipping behind the mountains and the wind sweeping across the outfield, the venue transforms into one of the most picturesque settings in world cricket.

It was hardly surprising, then, that the handful of spectators who had turned up to watch Sri Lanka A take on Afghanistan A in a Tri-Nation fixture made sure to click selfies with the scenic backdrop, with even locals soaking in the sights with tourist-like fascination.

However, by the time they left the venue on Saturday evening, they had even broader smiles on their faces as Avishka Fernando’s prolific century not only guided Sri Lanka A to a convincing eight-wicket win but also kept its hopes of reaching the final of the Tri-Nation series alive.

Afghanistan A started aggressively, with Hassan Eisakhil adding 60 runs for the opening wicket with captain Imran Mir. However, as the innings progressed, Sri Lankan spinners Kugathas Mathulan and Vijaykant Viyaskanth pulled things back, restricting Afghanistan A to 245.

However, with Fernando in red-hot form and Niroshan Dickwella providing solid support, Sri Lanka raced to 76 inside the first 10 overs before the latter was dismissed by Farnanullah Safi.

Fernando, though, was in no mood to slow down. Backing his natural game, he stitched a match-winning partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama and, in the process, brought up a well-crafted century.

The seasoned campaigner, however, wants to keep the momentum going. “This tournament is a good opportunity for me, and there are two more matches. I hope this momentum continues, and I can focus on the basics and eventually return to the national team again,” Fernando told  Sportstar.

Fernando has been out of the national reckoning since last year. In the ongoing tri-series, he started with a 45 against India A before following it up with a century.

“I am very happy with my innings because after a long time I have played such a knock. The wicket was really good for the batters,” he said.

For long, West Indies legend Ian Bishop has advocated for Fernando after he burst onto the scene with a brilliant century against the West Indies at the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, he could not quite build on that promise and drifted in and out of the national side.

“Over the last few years, sometimes I (had hit a) really bad patch. But I think, now is my time. I hope I do good things and this momentum keeps going in the future matches too,” Fernando said, keeping his fingers crossed.

Published on Jun 13, 2026