Left arm spinner Sachith Pathirana bowled the best over of his life to secure a thrilling 4-run win for Southern Express in the SLC Super Fours T20 tournament final against fancied Udarata Rulers at SSC grounds on Wednesday.
Lahiru Thirimanne won the toss and elected to field first on a perfect sunny day. “We have a strong team which can chase down any score and I’m confident about my side. “ Thirimanne said after winning the toss. Udarata openers; Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera gave their team a solid start as they put up 59 runs for the 1st wicket before medium pacie, Asela Gunarathne got the better of Dilruwan for 28 runs. Asela struck again with his slow cutters in the 10th over removing young Niroshan for 26 as Udarata were 69/2 at half way stage.
Yashoda Lanka and experienced Jehan Mubarak anchored the Express ship to 100 runs before Asela Gunarathne once again became the partnership breaker removing Yashoda Lanka for 24.
Dhammika Prasad’s expensive 15th over of the innings boosted the Southern run-rate as Mubarak and Angelo Perere clobbered Sri Lanka’s hero at Leeds for 16 runs.
Southern Express lost momentum with wickets falling regularly as they scored only 43 runs in the final 5 overs thanks to an 18 run final over by Nuwan Kulasekara. Hard-hitting Farveez Maharoof and Seekuge Prasanna failed to deliver the goods which they delivered in the play-off match against Western Troopers as they fell in search of quick runs. Jehan Mubarak was the highest run getter in the Southern innings with a well-compiled 34 runs while Ajantha Mendis and Asela Gunarathne scalped three wickets each.
Chasing 162 runs to win the championship, Udarata Rulers choked their way to defeat after having the game in their grasp with a brilliant 95-run opening stand between Shehan Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga which was the perfect platform in their chase of 162. Both left handers had no issues in their steady partnership which paved the way for Udarata Rulers to dominate the game.
Upul Tharanga justified his selection for the South Africa ODIs with a brilliant knock of 62 runs in 37 deliveries which included 7 fours and 2 sixes. Upul Tharanga perished off Danushka Gunathilake in the 11th over. 23-year old Shehan Jayasuriya picked up from where Tharanga left as he maneuvered the ball to all parts of the ground and was involved in an exciting 33 run partnership with Sri Lanka’s batting maestro Kumar Sangakkara for the 2nd wicket. Sangakkara looked in prime form in his short stay in the crease making 16 runs while Shehan Jayasuriya scored his 2nd half-century of the tournament.
After the dismissals of Sangakkara and Jayasuriya, Southern Expressed sniffed a chance of fighting back into the game as they bowled a tight line and dried out the runs for Chamara Silva and Lahiru Thirimanne. The Udarata skipper fell to the bowling of Kasun Madusanka in the 18th over with only 17 runs needed to win. Southern captain Lasith Malinga proved once again his worth as the best death bowler in the world at present as his penultimate over went for only 3 runs and he managed to get Chamara Silva’s wicket as well.
Udarata required 8 runs in the final over with two new batsmen on the crease. Sachith Pathirana bowled a wide delivery in the first delivery but he managed to remove Milinda Siriwardene in his first legitimate ball of the over. Asela Gunarathne came down the wicket but only saw his stumps being rattled by wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella in the next delivery. Pathirana held his nerve to take his 3rd wicket of the over as Dilhara Lokuhettige was caught in the deep in the 4th ball of the over with Udarata needing 6 runs in the last two balls. Pathirana gave no room to strike for Nuwan Kulasekara and Dhammika Prasad as Udarata Rulers succumbed to defeat by only 3 runs in the final over losing 4 wickets with Kulasekara being run-out in the final ball of the match.
Southern Express led by Lasith Malinga qualified for the Champions League T20 tournament as the Sri Lankan representative with this exceptional nail-biting victory.
Chief Scores:
Southern Express – 161/8 in 20 overs : Jehan Mubarak 34, Dilruwan Perera 28, Niroshan Dickwella 26, Asela Gunarathne 3/19, Ajantha Mendis 3/27.
Udarata Rulers – 157/9 in 20 overs : Upul Tharanga 62, Shehan Jayasuriya 51, Sachith Pathirana 3/27.
Match Result : Southern Express won by 4 runs.
Player of the match – Sachith Pathirana (Southern Express)
Player of the series – Seekuge Prasanna (Southern Express)
Batsman of the series – Upul Tharanga (Udarata Rulers)
Bowler of the series – Alankara Asanka Silva (Yaal Blazers)
