LPL 2024 | Samarawickrama’s heroics in vain as Kamindu-Shanaka partnership crushes Colombo Strikers

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Kandy Falcons beat Colombo Strikers by two wickets in the Eliminator game.The Strikers' top and middle order faltered with the bat but Sadeera Samarawickrama’s 62 off 45 helped them cruise to 159/8 in 20 overs whereas a 62-run stand between Dasun Shanaka and Kamindu Mendis sealed the deal for Kandy.

‌The stakes were high as the Colombo Strikers faced the Kandy Falcons in the crucial eliminator game at Colombo. Kandy Falcons captain Wanindu Hasaranga won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that quickly proved effective. Colombo suffered early blows, losing Muhammad Waseem, Glenn Phillips, and Nipun Dhananjaya within the powerplay, leaving them at 45/3. With Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sadeera Samarawickrama at the crease, the Strikers reached 77/3 by the end of 10 overs. However, Hasaranga showcased his skill by dismissing both Gurbaz and Shadab Khan in consecutive deliveries during the 11th over, disrupting Colombo’s middle order. Despite these challenges, Samarawickrama and Dunith Wellalage anchored the innings, guiding the Strikers to 132/5 by the 17th over, with Samarawickrama achieving a 36-ball fifty. Nevertheless, Mohammad Hasnain's exceptional performance in the final over, taking two wickets in quick succession, restricted the Strikers to 159/8 at the end of their 20 overs.

 

In response, the Falcons got off to a poor start losing Dinesh Chandimal, Mohammad Haris, and Andre Fletcher within the powerplay. Despite these early setbacks, they managed to reach 51/3 by the end of six overs. The struggles persisted when Matheesha Pathirana removed Angelo Mathews and Shadab Khan dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga in the eighth over. Chaturanga de Silva also failed to contribute significantly, departing cheaply in the 11th over, leaving the Falcons at 93/6. The duo of Kamindu Mendis and Ramesh Mendis then switched gears, propelling the Kandy score to 125/6 in 14 overs, needing 35 runs to win in the remaining six overs. A clinical 15th over by Binura Fernando, conceding just nine runs, set the stage for a thrilling finish. However, Pathirana's 16th over proved costly, leaking 12 runs, as Kandy needed just 14 runs from 24 balls, with Mendis reaching his fifty in 32 deliveries. The game took another twist when Pathirana dismissed Mendis in the 18th over. Despite this, Ramesh Mendis managed to score the winning runs in 18.4 overs, securing a victory for the Falcons by two wickets. With this win, the Kandy Falcons advanced to Qualifier 2, where they will face the Jaffna Kings on Saturday.

Exceptional

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