Colombo Stars glitter as they qualify for playoffs

Dinesh Chandimal played a quality innings of 44* to give Colombo Stars their highest total of the tournament

Colombo Stars man of the hour Jeffrey Vandersay celebrates a wicket on his way to career-best figures of 6 for 25, which was also the best bowling performance in the LPL

Kusal Perera of Colombo Stars made a timely return to form with a half-century

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Following a disappointing performance against Jaffna Kings on Thursday when they were shot out for a paltry 91, Colombo Stars lifted their game to a higher level to beat Kandy Warriors by 58 runs in a crucial league contest that decided the fourth team to qualify for the playoffs in the ongoing Lanka Premier League.

Yesterday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in the second doubleheader of the day, Colombo invited to bat first rattled off their highest total of the tournament 182-6, and then dismissed Kandy for 124 in 17 overs with a brilliant bowling performance by their two wrist spinners Jeffrey Vandersay and Seekkuge Prasanna who between them took eight of the nine wickets to fall to bowlers.

Vandersay was the stand-out bowler for Colombo picking up a career-best 6 wickets for 25 runs which was also the best bowling figures in the history of the LPL. Vandersay, who was named the Player of the Match rattled through the Kandy batting after they had looked like taking up the battle when Bopara (47) and Charith Asalanka (14) figured in a 54-run stand for the third wicket.

The over that turned the game in favour of Colombo was the 11th when Prasanna produced two classical deliveries to rattle the stumps of the set batsman Bopara for 47 and then two balls later of Kandy captain Angelo Perera for a duck. Those two wickets pushed Kandy onto the backfoot and from 93-3 they slipped to 124 all out as Vandersay who had accounted for three wickets in the top order returned for his final over and snapped up three wickets to finish off the match in grand style.

Colombo got off to an absolute flyer with Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva putting on 80 off 47 balls for the second wicket off 47 balls to pave the way for Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews to fire towards the latter stages of the innings when 64 runs were scored off the last five overs. The two former captains showed their experience in a partnership of 53 runs off 33 balls.

On a pitch not so easy for batting Perera played one of better knocks and richly deserved his half-century (58) that came off 38 balls and included two sixes and six fours. De Silva made 40 off 28 balls with some good as well as some streaky shots. But Chandimal who is now the highest run-getter of the tournament was in a different zone. He played like the Chandimal of old hitting two sixes and three fours in his 29-ball knock of 44* which was a quality innings with controlled aggression. He looked the best player on show in the ongoing LPL playing in every situation and always looking positive.

Colombo who finished third in the final standings will now play fourth-placed Dambulla Giants in the Eliminator on Sunday at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota.

For Kandy it was another disappointing LPL finishing at the bottom of the table for the second consecutive year and failing to qualify. 

Scores: Colombo Stars 182-6 (20) (Kusal Perera 58, Dhananjaya de Silva 40, Dinesh Chandimal 44*, Angelo Mathews 29, Nimesh Vimukthi 3/24)

Kandy Warriors 124 (17) (Kennar Lewis 21, Ravi Bopara 47, Jeffrey Vandersay 6/25, Seekkuge Prasanna 2/27)