Pathirana grabs four, Colombo Strikers prevail in a thriller
View(s):By M. Shamil Amit reporting from Dambulla
It was near but yet so far for Kandy Falcons as Angelo Mathews with his vast experience almost took them to the winning post with the team needing 20 runs in the last over. He hit the daylights out of skipper Thisara Perera, who bowled final over whilst slamming 18 runs but with two balls left a dot ball in the final delivery and the run out of Mathews sealed a thrilling 2-run win for Colombo Strikers in the seventh match of the fifth Lanka Premier League played at the Rangiri Dambulla yesterday.
Kandy Falcons, in pursuit of a challenging target of 200 runs, came close but was unfortunate as they fell short by a whisker and was restricted for a core of 197.
Matheesha Pathirana celebrates a wicket
This was after right arm pacie Matheesha Pathirana turned the game for Colombo Strikers. He grabbed three wickets that of Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka and skipper Wanindu Hasaranga in his third over, and the 17th of the innings, to send Kandy Falcons reeling from 165 for 3 to 165 for 6.
Kandy Falcons, at the start of the run chase, was way behind the run rate but came into terms with Mohammad Haris, who made a top score of 56 along with Andre Fletcher making headway. But the dismissal of the pair made things difficult, followed by a useful knock coming from Kamindu Mendis that brought the equation to getable stage before Pathirana struck. He ended up with impressive match figures of 4 for 26 and almost sealed an early win for Colombo Strikers, who managed to chalk up their second win of the tournament, incidentally against the same opponent.
Earlier in the day Colombo Strikers continued their batting prowess as they were the team to chalk up the highest score of 198 against the same opponents in their first match played at Pallekele in the third match of the tournament.
This time out Colombo Strikers, invited to take first lease of the wicket, was given a sound start by openers Rahmnullah Gurbaz and Angelo Perera, who together put on 53 runs in only 21 balls before they were separated. Perera associated in another brief stand of 32 runs for the second wicket with Glenn Phillips before being dismissed having made a contribution of 38 in 23 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.
At the halfway stage of the innings they were well placed on 94 for 2. But they fell back losing three quick wickets for the addition of 33 runs and slid from a healthy position of 106 for 2 to 139 for 5 in the 15th over. Phillips, who was forced to see losing his partners at the other end, held on and accumulated runs with ease.
Phillips raced to his half ton, reaching it in 32 balls, after hitting five boundaries and two sixes. Phillips was responsible in Colombo Strikers posting the 150 runs, which came off just 97 balls. Phillips was the sixth wicket to fall and his knock of 70 off in 43 balls comprising a total of six boundaries and three sixes.
Later Shadab Khan cracked 23 in 12 balls with two boundaries and a six which helped Colombo Strikers to end their innings with a formidable score of 199
for 9.