Tharanga’s ton helps ‘Team Colombo’ to clinch SLC T20 Opener

SLC T20 League 2018

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Upul Tharanga

The 1st game of the SLC T20 league 2018 got underway at the R. Premadasa International stadium earlier today (21st August). After winning the toss Colombo Team Captain Dinesh Chandimal opted to bat first on a wicket that looked to be a batsmen’s paradise.

But Chandimal failed to capitalize on the opportunity and carry his form from the recent T20 against South Africa, as he was caught behind in the second over of Kasun Rajitha.

Upul Tharanga seemed to be in prolific form as he played some sensational cover drives looking at his best throughout the innings. As wickets kept falling at the other end, Tharanga continued to score runs and anchored the Colombo Team innings thanks to a 68 run partnership with Jeevan Mendis, who scored a quick fire 30 off 13 balls. The pair switched gears in the 17th over of the innings, to score 54 runs in the final three overs.

Tharanga was unbeaten on 124 from just 67 deliveries with 5 fours and 11 sixes. Kasun Rajitha and Nishan Peiris picked two wickets each for Galle Team with figures of 2/38 and 2/40 respectively.

Dhanajaya de Silva was Galle Teams most economical bowler, but did not get sufficient support  from the rest who went for more than nine runs per over.

Read: SLC T20 League 2018 squads finalized

Chasing a mammoth score of 197, Galle Team lost their top three batsmen cheaply in the first three over’s of the innings. Angelo Perera together with Asela Gunaratne consolidated the Galle innings adding 40 runs for the 4th wicket. Perera went on to score 54 of 35 balls including 5 fours and 2 sixes.  Spin prodigy Akila Dhananjaya bowled brilliantly once again to end up with figures of 3/13. Galle was eventually dismissed in the final over of the innings for 107.

The match featured two debutants that of Jehan Daniel and Kamindu Mendis.

Colombo Team will play the Kandy Team in their next game tomorrow at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.









Title





Full Scorecard

Team Colombo

197/5

(20 overs)

Result

Team Galle

107/10

(19.2 overs)

Colombo won by 90 runs

Team Colombo’s Innings

Batting R B
Dinesh Chandimal c N.Dickwella b K.Rajitha 4 4
Upul Tharanga not out 124 67
Mahela Udawatta c K.Rajitha b N.Peiris 9 7
Sammu Ashan c D.De.Silva b N.Peiris 1 2
Shehan Jayasuriya c K.Rajitha b S.Lakmal 22 22
Chathuranga De Silva c A.Gunaratne b K.Rajitha 3 5
Jeewan Mendis not out 30 13
Extras
4 (lb 2, w 2)
Total
197/5 (20 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-9 (D Chandimal, 1.2 ov), 2-20 (M Udawatte, 2.6 ov), 3-34 (S Ashan, 4.3 ov), 4-101 (S Jayasuriya, 12.5 ov), 5-129 (C de Silva, 15.1 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Suranga Lakmal 4 0 38 1 9.50
Kasun Rajitha 4 0 38 2 9.50
Nishan Peiris 4 0 40 2 10.00
Dananjaya De Silva 4 0 31 0 7.75
Asela Gunaratne 3 0 32 0 10.67
Jeffrey Vandersay 1 0 16 0 16.00

Team Galle’s Innings

Batting R B
Kusal Mendis b A.Fernando 1 5
Niroshan Dickwella (runout) C. De Silva 1 4
Dimuth Karunaratne c S.Ashan b S.Jayasuriya 1 3
Dananjaya De Silva c A.Dananjaya b L.Madushanka 9 17
Angelo Perera c S.Ashan b A.Dananjaya 54 35
Asela Gunaratne c L.Madushanka b J.Mendis 18 25
Jehan Daniel c S.Jayasuriya b L.Madushanka 3 7
Jeffrey Vandersay not out 0 0
Suranga Lakmal c M.Udawatha b K.Mendis 3 6
Nishan Peiris c D.Chandimal b A.Dananjaya 1 3
Kasun Rajitha not out 0 0
Extras
3 (lb 1, w 2)
Total
107/10 (19.2 overs)
Fall of Wickets:
1-2 (K Mendis, 1.2 ov), 2-4 (N Dickwella, 1.3 ov), 3-5 (D Karunaratne, 2.1 ov), 4-45 (D de Silva, 7.6 ov), 5-77 (A Perera, 13.4 ov), 6-90 (J Daniel, 15.5 ov), 7-90 (A Gunaratne, 16.1 ov), 8-102 (S Lakmal, 18.3 ov), 9-107 (N Peiris, 19.1 ov), 10-107 (J Vandersay, 19.2 ov)
Bowling O M R W E
Shehan Jayasuriya 2 0 9 1 4.50
Asitha Fernando 3 0 23 1 7.67
Chathuranga De Silva 3 0 24 0 8.00
Akila Dananjaya 3.2 0 13 3 4.06
Jeewan Mendis 4 0 19 1 4.75
Lahiru Madushanka 3 0 12 2 4.00
Kamindu Mendis 1 0 6 1 6.00