2014 World T20 Champions Sri Lanka massacred English county side Sussex as Sri Lanka’s new opening combination Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kithuruwan Vithanage powered Sri Lanka to a 10-wicket win in their Twenty20 tour match by chasing down 127 in just 9.1 overs at Hove.
The home side’s 126 for seven, anchored by 63 from opening batsman Matt Machan, was never likely to provide too stiff a task for the world champions and they blew away the opposition in emphatic fashion. Dilshan scored 73 off just 31 balls with 16 fours while Vithanage contributed 52 off 24 deliveries with five sixes.
Sussex got off to a brisk start after winning the toss and was 25 without loss after three overs but Luke Wells (11) was the first man to go as he was dismissed by Lasith Malinga. Luke’s dismissal brought experienced Michael Yardy to the crease and he helped the Sussex reach 60 for one at the halfway stage but he also fell for 11, caught by Suranga Lakmal off Ajantha Mendis. Rory Hamilton-Brown lasted just three balls before nicking Thisara Perera to Dinesh Chandimal and the home team Sussex was restricted to 67 for three.
Sussex never got out of their hole as wickets kept on tumbling around top scorer Matt Machan. Ben Brown and Ashar Zaidi contributed with 14 runs each but a late flurry of wickets delimited Sussex to only 126 runs in 20 overs losing 7 wickets. Skipper Lasith Malinga captured two wickets while all-rounder Thisara Perera grabbed two scalps as well.
Chasing 127 runs to victory, Sri Lanka wasted no time in setting about their task, with newly promoted Kithruwan Vithanage launching a six and a four in the first over before TM Dilshan hit four consecutive boundaries in the second over bowled by CJ Liddle. Two further Dilshan boundaries opened the next and Vithanage clobbered three consecutive big sixes against SA Piolet as Sri Lanka reached 63 without loss in just four overs. Dilshan brought up his fifty with a four in a sixth over that cost 16 runs and the boundaries kept coming with the tourists bringing up their 100 inside seven overs. A single in the ninth overs brought Vithanage his 50 in just 22 balls and Dilshan sealed an emphatic victory with a four leaving 65 balls to spare. Inexperienced Sussex bowlers had no clue against the classy onslaught by the Lankan openers.
Sri Lanka will play England on the 20th of May in their one-off T20 game at the Oval.
Chief Scores:
Sussex – 126/7 in 20 overs: Matt Machan 63, Ashar Zaidi 14*, Lasith Malinga 2/20, Thisara Perera 2/13.
Sri Lanka – 128/0 in 9.1 overs: TM Dilshan 73*, Kithruwan Vithanage 52*.
