Shehan, Ajantha steer Udarata Rulers to second win
A quick-fire half ton in just 30 balls by Shehan Jayasuriya and a three wicket haul by spinner Ajantha Mendis helped Udarata Rulers to record their second successive win in two days in the ongoing Ultra Tech Super 4s T20 cricket tournament played at the SSC ground yesterday.
Udarata Rulers being invited to take first lease of the wicket posted a formidable score of 174 and then restricted the Western Troopers to a score of 119 to give them a convincing 55 runs victory.
Shehan Jayasuriya scored 50 off 30 balls - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Udarata Rulers invited to take first lease of the wicket by Western Troopers stand in skipper Kithruwan Withanage was a given a solid start by openers skipper Upul Tharanga and Dhananjaya de Silva.
However Tharanga too did not last long as he was the next to go with the addition of six runs to the score. Shehan Jayasuriya joining Chamara Silva steered the Udarata Rulers with the duo accumulating runs at will.
Shehan in particular was severe as he played the sheet anchor role with his superlative batting. Udarata Rulers at the halfway stage of the innings were well placed on 70 for 2 and looked set to make an imposing score.
Western Troopers left with a daunting task of making a challenging 175 runs had an inauspicious start losing their first wicket in the second over with just 11 runs on the board.
Later it was rash batting by the batsmen that followed which put them in a spot of bother with five of their top batsmen back in the pavilion as they slumped to 51 for 5 in the eighth over.
The writing was almost on the wall for the Troopers and in the halfway stage of the innings they were perilously placed on 72 for 6. The late order batting had little to offer, they succumbed to the pace and spin combination bowling of Dilhara Lokuhettige, Asela Gunratane, Ajantha Mendis and Milinda Siriwardena as they were able to muster only 119 runs.
Meanwhile the second match of the day between Southern Express and Yaal Blazers played at the same venue in the afternoon ended in a no result due to inclement weather which forced the umpires to call off the game.
Udarata Rulers beat Western Troopers by 55 runs
Udarata Rulers 174 for 5 in 20 overs (Shehan Jayasuriya 50, Upul Tharanga 36, Chamara Silva 26, Dhananjaya de Silva 20, Lahiru Thirimanne 21 n.o., Milinda Siriwardena 19 n.o.: Maduka Liyanapathiranage 2 for 26, Suranga Lakmal 2 for 31)
Western Troopers 119 in 18.2 overs (Isuru Udana 20, Bhanuka Rajapakse 19, Dimuth Karunaratne 16: Ajantha Mendis 3 for 28, Milinda Siriwardena 2 for 14, Dilhara Lokuhettige 2 for 16, Asela Gunaratne 2 for 28)
Southern Express and Yaal Blazers: No result
Southern Express 139 in 20 overs (Farveez Maharoof 29, Niroshan Dickwella 25, Yasoda Lanka 24, Jehan Mubarak 43 n.o.: Alankara Asanka 4 for 25, Ramith Rambukwella 3 for 21)
Yaal Balzers 21 for 2 in 4 overs at close