Dasun Shanaka seemed like he would take team Kandy home on his own, but they fell short by 6 runs and with that were knocked out of the tournament after losing all four games they have played so far.
Team Dambulla powered their way to a daunting 217/4 after they were put into bat by Team Kandy, in the second game of the double-header on Sunday in Dambulla under floodlights.
Tharanga blitz secure final berth for Team Colombo
Colombo Team continued their winning streak with an easy 7-wicket win over Team Galle, in the ‘SLC T20 League’ match 7…
The foundation was set by their two powerful openers Ramith Rambukwella and Danushka Gunathilaka who put on 85 for the first wicket before the former was dismissed for 38.
Sadeera Samarawickrama (23) kept Gunathilaka in company with a quick-fire 65 run partnership for the second wicket as Team Dambulla set themselves up brilliantly for a final blitz.
When Gunathilaka was finally dismissed for a well compiled 87 off just 54 deliveries, Isuru Udan (27*) and Wanindu Hasaranga (27*) added the finishing touches with a 16 ball 38 run unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket as Dambulla Team set Kandy team a massive 218 for victory.
Sri Lanka’s veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga once again delivered an economical spell conceding just 25 runs off his 4 over’s, while all the other bowlers were clobbered around the park.
The Kandy team run chase got off to a horrific start when they were reduced to 17/3 in the 2nd over. A brilliant counter attacking partnership of 96 runs between skipper Dasun Shanaka and rookie batsman Charith Asalanka (43) for the 4th wicket kept Team Kandy in the game as the required run rate continued to rise.
Photos: Galle vs Kandy | SLC T20 League – 2018
Shanaka struck the ball as clean as ever, before he was eventually dismissed for 81 inclusive of 5 humongous sixes. Team Kandy looked like they were done, but Nisala Tharaka hit an unbeaten 34* off just 22 balls to almost get them home in a do-or-die battle. It was all in-vain as Kandy fell agonizingly short by 6 runs to end on 211/7 and recorded their fourth consecutive loss in the tournament.
Dilruwan Perera and Shehan Madushanka captured two wickets apiece as Team Dambulla recorded their 3rd win in four games to strengthen their chances of qualification for the final on next Sunday.
Full Scorecard
Team Dambulla
217/4
(20 overs)
Result
Team Kandy
211/7
(20 overs)
Dambulla won by 6 runs
Team Dambulla’s Innings
| Batting | R | B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danushka Gunathilaka | c B Rajapaksa b L Gamage | 87 | 54 | |||
| Ramith Rambukwella | c L Gamage b N Tharaka | 38 | 24 | |||
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | b C Asalanka | 23 | 19 | |||
| Ashan Priyanjan | c L Thirimanne b L Gamage | 1 | 2 | |||
| Wanindu Hasaranga | not out | 27 | 14 | |||
| Isuru Udana | not out | 27 | 9 | |||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 |
| Lahiru Gamage | 4 | 0 | 42 | 2 | 10.50 |
| Charith Asalanka | 4 | 0 | 57 | 1 | 14.25 |
| Nisala Tharaka | 3 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 13.00 |
| Thikshila De Silva | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15.00 |
| Janaka Sampath | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Malinda Pushpakumara | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13.00 |
Team Kandy’s Innings
| Batting | R | B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thikshila de Silva | b D Gunathilaka | 4 | 4 | |||
| Lahiru Thirimanne | c I Udana b D Perera | 6 | 3 | |||
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa | c D Gunathilaka b D Perera | 4 | 4 | |||
| Dasun Shanaka | c S Samarawickrama b I Udana | 81 | 46 | |||
| Charith Asalanka | c S Samarawickrama b S Madushanka | 43 | 24 | |||
| Dhananjaya Lakshan | (runout) A Priyanjan | 9 | 7 | |||
| Malinda Pushpakumara | c W Hasaranga b S Madushanka | 6 | 4 | |||
| Nisala Tharaka | not out | 34 | 22 | |||
| Lasith Malinga | not out | 14 | 6 | |||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danushka Gunathilaka | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 6.67 |
| Dilruwan Perera | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 10.00 |
| Isuru Udana | 3 | 0 | 39 | 1 | 13.00 |
| Amila Aponso | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 11.00 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.67 |
| Lakshan Sandakan | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 8.50 |
| Shehan Madushanka | 4 | 0 | 45 | 2 | 11.25 |