Galle Guardians record second successive win
Galle Guardians recorded their second successive win of the ongoing Super T20 Provincial cricket tournament when they defeated Kandy Crusaders who crashed to their third successive defeat by three wickets with six balls to spare in the match played in the morning session at R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.
Kandy Crusaders batsman Jeevan Mendis in action - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Galle Guardians in pursuit of 179 runs was given a flying start by openers’ man in form Lahiru Milantha and Dilshan Munaweera who together put on 64 runs in just 27 balls. From there on they made steady progress whilst going at over ten runs an over thanks to some useful knocks coming from Lahiru who made a 24 ball 41, Dilshan and skipper Dinesh Chandimal.
At the halfway stage of the innings they were well placed on 109 for 4 which followed by a 37 runs stand for the sixth wicket between skipper Chandimal and Dilhara Lokuhettige which brought them closer to the target needing 13 runs from 13 balls.
The completion of the 18th over saw them ending with a score of 170 for 6 and they sealed the game in the last ball of the 19th over with Isuru Udana cracking a boundary off Suranga Lakmal.
Earlier in the day Kandy Crusaders invited to take first lease of the wicket underwent a setback when they lost three quick wickets with the score of 32 in the seventh over. Thereafter two valuable knocks by skipper Lahiru Thirimanne who made 61 in 45 balls inclusive of four boundaries and two sixes and 40 in 14 balls by Jeevan Mendis which comprised three boundaries and four sixes enabled them to make a challenging score of 178, but it proved to be insufficient to defend.
Kandy Crusaders 178 of 6 in 20 overs (Lahiru Thirimanne 61, Minod Bhanuka 21, Jeevan Mendis 40 n.o.: Suraj Randiv 2 for 27, Dilhara Lokuhettige 2 for 32, Ajantha Mendis 2 for 38) Galle Guardians 181 for 7 in 19 overs (Lahiru Milantha 41, Dinesh Chandimal 34, Dilshan Munaweera 33, Thilaksha Sumanasiri 16, Dilhara Lokuhettige 24 n.o.: Sachithra Senanayke 2 for 27, Jeevan Mendis 2 for 28)
Asela’s hat-trick gives Kurunegala Warriors thrilling victory
Right arm pacie Asela Gunaratne celebrated his selection to the national squad with a five wicket haul which included a hat-trick to guide Kurunegala Warriors to a 31 runs win over Colombo Commandos in another match of the same tournament played in the evening session at the same venue.
Kurunegala Warriors taking first lease of the wicket was in a spot of bother after losing their first wicket with six runs in the board in the first over. With no significant partnerships coming they lost wickets at regular intervals and was badly placed on 59 for 5 in the ninth over.
However some useful knocks in the latter stages of the innings spearheaded by Chamara Kapugedera who made a 34 enabled them to end their innings with a modest score of 141.
Colombo Commandos in their run chase too underwent the same fate as they too were made to dig their way for the runs. They lost their top five wickets with the score on 74 in the 11th and were in a position of reaching the target.
But they found pacie Asela too hot to handle as he almost sealed the game for Kurunegala Warriors with a hat-trick in his third over and the 16th of the innings as Colombo Commandos was able to muster a score of only 110 runs.
Kurunegala Warriors 141 in 20 overs (Chamara Kapugedera 34, Upul Tharnga 28, Kusal Mendis 18: Shaminda Eranga 4 for 18)
Colombo Commandos 110 in 16.3 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 26, Milinda Siriwardena 22, Pulina Tharanga 19: Asela Gunaratne 5 for 10, Janith Silva 2 for 20)