Last ball boundary gives Lankans the Red Bull
A BMS Sri Lanka batsman in action - Pic by Ranjith Perera
Sri Lanka scored a nail-biting last ball win over India in the finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World T20 tournament at the SSC Grounds yesterday.
Put into bat India scored a healthy 211 for the loss of two wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Indians built their innings aided by two fruitful partnerships –117 runs for the 2nd wicket by Murtaza Trunkwala (76 n.o.) and Yash Nahar (58) and a 94 run unfinished third wicket partnership by Trunkwala and Divyang Himgmekar (46 n.o.). Trunkwala’s inning comprised of two sixes and eight boundaries scored in 48 balls. Naha piled up his runs aided by two sixes and five fours coming in 42 deliveries. Janith Liyanage and Devind Pathmanathan captured 1 for 44 and 1 for 45 respectively.
Sri Lanka in their run chase were given a sound start by Pasindu Isira and Dineth Thimodya (54) putting on 44 runs. A half century partnership for the second wicket by Thomodya and Hashan Dumindu (28) gave wind to the run chase as Sri Lanka were setting pretty at 142 for two wickets. But a sudden collapse taking place saw the scoreboard reading five down for 147 runs. Then, Skipper Koshan Dhanushka walked in and made a blistering 21 runs making the ball to sail over the ropes on three occasion in his brief stay of 10 balls.
Top scorer Thimodya 54 included six fours and three sixes and the fifty coming off in 29 balls.
With scores levelled in 5th delivery of the last over as sheet anchor Ranitha Liyanarachchi who kept his end going swept the last ball to the square leg fence signalling the Sri Lanka victory.
For India left arm spinner Rohan Damle was the most successful bowler to claim 4 for 30.
- India 211 for 2 (20) (Murtaza Trunkwala 76 n.o., Yash Nahar 58, Divyang Himgmekar 46 n.o.)
- Sri Lanka 212 for 6 (20) (Dineth Thimodya 54, Pasindu Isira 19, Hashan Dumindu 28, Supekshala Jayatilleke 29, Ranitha Liyanarachchi 26 n.o., Koshan Dhanushka 21, Rohan Damle 4 for 30)