Galle Titans win Super Over thriller

The second day of Lanka Premier League witnessed a game being decided in the Super Over as Galle Titans kept their nerve to beat Dambulla Aura Monday night at RPS.

In a nail biter, the pendulum swung one way and the other before the scores were levelled at the end of 20 overs throwing the game to a Super Over where Galle Titans prevailed.

Galle looked to be having the game in the bag with Dambulla seven down and needing 16 runs in the last over.

Australian batter Alex Ross had other ideas as he scored 14 runs off the first five deliveries of the last over bowled by Kasun Rajitha. Dambulla needed two runs from the last ball and Rajitha kept his nerve and bowled a yorker.

Ross attempted a dab to the third man but failed to execute it. While the bowler had kept his calm, wicketkeeper Tim Seifert from New Zealand lost his composure as his underarm throw was off the mark and the batters ran a buy to tie the scores.

Kusal Janith Perera and Hayden Kerr came out for the Super Over for Dambulla.

Although KJP started off with a boundary in the first ball, Dambulla could muster only nine runs leaving Galle with a target of ten runs as Rajitha sent down an excellent Super Over.

It just required two balls for Galle to seal the game in their favour as Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed a boundary and a six in the first two balls bowled by Binura Fernando.

Earlier, Rajapaksa had starred for Galle with a blistering knock smashing 48 off 34 balls with five fours and two sixes. Skipper Shanaka put the finishing touches with 42 off 21 balls as he hit two fours and four sixes.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera shared a 76-run stand for the third wicket in 48 balls after Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando had fallen inside the first eight balls.

Dhananjaya finished on 43 off 31 with five fours and one six while Kusal’s 40 came off 25 balls with four fours and two sixes.

The two experienced campaigners had set up the perfect stage for Dambulla before the middle order wobbled and eventually Alex Ross nearly won them the game.

Shanaka starred with both bat and ball as he complemented his unbeaten 42 with three wickets.

In the second game of the evening, Colombo Strikers overcame B-Love Kandy without much trouble winning the contest by 28 runs.

Babar Azam put up a splendid show batting through the innings. The Pakistan captain scored 59 off 52 balls with four fours and one six.

Colombo were able to score 157 for six in their 20 overs and then reduced B-Love Kandy to 130 for eight. Angelo Mathews top scored with 25 but the team needed much more than that. Matheesha Pathirana with three wickets, Jeffrey Vandersay and Naseem Shah with two wickets apiece starred for Colombo.

Brief Scores:

Dambulla Aura versus Galle Titans

Galle Titans

180-5 in 20 overs (Shevon Daniel 33, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 48, Dasun Shanaka 42*, Shahnawaz Dahani 2-37)

Dambulla Aura

180-7 in 20 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 43, Kusal Perera 40, Alex Ross 39*, Kasun Rajitha 2-35, Dasun Shanaka 3-27)

Result:

Dambulla Aura won the Super Over

Colombo Strikers versus B-Love Kandy

Colombo Strikers

157-6 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 59, Nuwanindu Fernando 28, Isuru Udana 3-30, Mohammad Hasnain 2-27)

B-Love Kandy

130-8 in 20 overs (Angelo Mathews 25, Naseem Shah 2-19, Matheesha Pathirana 3-24, Jeffrey Vandersay 2-32)

Result:

Colombo Strikers won by 27 runs