SLC Team Red registered their third win in the SLC T20 World Cup Preparation Tournament as they beat SLC Team Green by 38 runs at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
SLC Team Red Skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and had no hesitation to bat first on a batting friendly surface at Premadasa.
The opening pair Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando got SLC Team Red off to a blistering start as they put on 125 runs off 55 balls for the first wicket.
>>Shanaka, Fernando, Vimukthi help SLC Team Red register second win<<
After their dismissals, SLC Team Red’s progress slowed down but eventually managed to cross the 200-run mark. Dickwella was the top scorer as he stroked 69 runs off 32 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 215.62.
Fernando also hit a blazing half-century – 52 runs off 30 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 173.33. Tharindu Rathnayake was the pick of the bowlers for SLC Team Green as he grabbed 2 wickets for 28 runs in his 3-over spell.
In the run-chase, SLC Team Green faced a big blow at the start as they lost the experienced batter Dinesh Chandimal for a duck in the very first ball of the innings. Kusal Perera and Bhanuka Rajapaksa then took the baton to add a vital 40-run stand for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed by Asalanka for 15 runs.
Asalanka struck again in his second over to dismiss the opposition Skipper Janith Liyanage for 7 runs. Though wickets kept falling at the other end, Perera continued to dominate Team Green’s bowlers smashing a blistering half-century.
>>Rajapaksa, Liyanage, Rathnayake steer SLC Team Green to maiden win<<
Perera stroked 57 runs off 30 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 190. Ramesh Mendis and Chamika Karunaratne then provided some impetus to the innings adding 71 runs off 52 balls for the 6th wicket, but it was not enough for SLC Team Green as they fell short of the target by 38 runs at the end.
Brief Scores
SLC Team Red 212/6 (20) – Niroshan Dickwella 69, Avishka Fernando 52, Kamindu Mendis 23, Tharindu Rathnayake 2/28
SLC Team Green – 174/7 (20) Kusal Perera 57, Ramesh Mendis 46, Chamika Karunaratne 33*, Dasun Shanaka 2/18, Charith Asalanka 2/22
Result – SLC Team Red won by 38 runs
