The Galle Titans has begun their campaign with a thrilling super over win over Dambulla Aura in match No. 2 of the Lanka Premier League 2023, which was played today (31st July) at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
After having won the toss, Dambulla Aura Skipper Kusal Mendis had surprisingly decided to bowl first on a used pitch.
Shevon Daniel and Lasith Croospulle walked out to the middle as the openers for Galle Titans. However, they were able to add only 22 runs when the Pakistani pacer Shahnawaz Dahani has castled Croospulle for 3. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who was in at No. 3, and stitched together in a fifty partnership for the second wicket with Daniel.
Left-arm pacer Binura Fernando has made that breakthrough for the Aura, trapping Daniel via a successful review. The lefthander made a 26-ball 33, including 2 fours & sixes each. Rajapaksa, though, had batted well before being dismissed two runs short of his fifty off Dhanajaya De Silva. The southpaw’s knock came off 34 balls with 5 fours & 2 sixes.
>>Photos: Dambulla Aura vs Galle Titans – Lanka Premier League 2023 | Match 02<<
The Kiwi wicketkeeper batter Tim Seifert failed to get going where he was run out for a 17-ball 14 after a huge mix up with his partner, Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib’s cameo was ended by Dahani for 23. When the former got out, the Titans were 139/5 in 17.3 overs and ended up with 180/5 in their 20 overs, courtesy of the Skipper Dasun Shanaka’s brutal innings.
The Galle Titans smashed 37 runs off the last 13 balls as the Skipper remained not out on 42 off just 21 deliveries, which were compiled of 2 fours 4 cracking sixes. Dahani was the pick of the bowlers on the bowling front, finishing with 2/37. Apart from him, Binura and De Silva picked up a wicket apiece.
In reply, Avishka Fernando and the Skipper Kusal Mendis opened the innings. However, both of them failed to provide a good start for Dambulla Aura. The Titans’ opening fast bowlers in Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando castled Avishka and Mendis, reducing them to 2/2.
Dhananjaya De Silva and Kusal Perera joined in the middle and added s crucial 76 runs for the third wicket. The Skipper Dasun Shanaka made that breakthrough by dismissing Perera. He made 40 runs off just 25 balls including 4 fours & 2 sixes. 13 balls later, Shanaka removed De Silva as well when the batter was dragged into the stumps after making 43 runs facing 31 balls with 5 fours & 1 six.
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Sadeera Samarawickrama batted for a brief period before Shakib sent him back to the dressing room for 13. Ravindu Fernando became Shanaka’s third victim as the Aura were reduced to 120/6 in 14.2 overs. However, Alex Ross and Hayden Kerr did not give it away without a fight.
Kerr struck a 10-ball 20 before Rajitha struck back to pick his second. When the beginning of the Final over, the Aura needed 16 runs to win, with Rajitha to bowl to Ross in the final over. In the third and fourth deliveries in the over, Ross hit a six and a four, making the equation to 4 off the final two balls.
In the fifth delivery, thirdman fielder dropped Ross. In the meantime, the batters scrambled for a couple of runs. When two runs were needed off the final ball, Rajitha bowled a superb wide yorker which missed the bat, but the batters crossed through for a run. With Dambulla Aura levelling the scores, the result of the match had to be decided via a super over.
The Skipper Shanaka was the best of the bowling unit for the Titans by taking 3/27 in his 4 overs. Rajitha finished with 2/35, while Vishwa Fernando and Shakib Al Hasan shared two wickets between them.
Galle Titans decided to go with Kasun Rajitha to bowl the super over, while Kusal Perera and Alex Ross came in as the first two batters. Perera found the boundary off the very first bowl before hitting that straight to long off in the third delivery. Hayden Kerr then walked out to the middle, but he scored just a single that he faced. Rajitha bowled extremely well in the super over before Ross hit the final ball to the boundary, finishing with 9/1.
Binura Fernando took the bowl for the Dambulla, while Bhanuka Rajapaksa and the Skipper Dasun Shanaka came out to bat in the super over’s reply. Fernando started with a friendly full toss, which was eventually hit to boundary by Rajapaksa. The left-arm pacer had to bowl the second ball again after conceding a wide. The hard-hitting batter Rajapaksa finished things off with a maximum down the ground (12/0 in 0.2 overs).
The Skipper Dasun Shanaka was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his brilliant all-round performance.
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Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shevon Daniel | lbw b Binura Fernando | 33 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 126.92 |
| Lasith Croospulle | b Shahnawaz Dahani | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa | c Shahnawaz Dahani b Dhananjaya de Silva | 48 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 141.18 |
| Tim Seifert | run out (Avishka Fernando) | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 82.35 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | b Shahnawaz Dahani | 23 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 164.29 |
| Dasun Shanaka | not out | 42 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 200.00 |
| Lahiru Samarakoon | not out | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 175.00 |
| Extras | 10 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 1, w 8, pen 0) |
| Total | 180/5 (20 Overs, RR: 9) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binura Fernando | 4 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 8.00 | |
| Shahnawaz Dahani | 4 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 9.25 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 4 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 9.50 | |
| Hayden Kerr | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 11.67 | |
| Ravindu Fernando | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12.00 | |
| Praveen Jayawickrama | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avishka Fernando | b Kasun Rajitha | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Kusal Mendis | b Vishwa Fernando | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | b Dasun Shanaka | 43 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 138.71 |
| Kusal Janith | c Kasun Rajitha b Dasun Shanaka | 40 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 160.00 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | c Tim Seifert b Shakib Al Hasan | 13 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 144.44 |
| Alex Ross | not out | 39 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 139.29 |
| Ravindu Fernando | c Tim Seifert b Dasun Shanaka | 13 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 162.50 |
| Hayden Kerr | c Tabraiz Shamsi b Kasun Rajitha | 20 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 200.00 |
| Binura Fernando | not out | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 8 (b 1 , lb 3 , nb 0, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 180/7 (20 Overs, RR: 9) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasun Rajitha | 4 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 8.75 | |
| Vishwa Fernando | 2 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 10.00 | |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 4 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 | |
| Lasith Croospulle | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20.00 | |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 9.50 | |
| Dasun Shanaka | 4 | 0 | 27 | 3 | 6.75 | |
| Seekkuge Prasanna | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11.00 | |
 at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.){kind=link}