Defending champions Kandy Falcons live to fight another day

• Play Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

In an incredible game of cricket defending champions Kandy Falcons beat Colombo Strikers by two wickets with eight balls to spare in the Lanka Premier League Eliminator at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Chasing a target of 160, Kandy seemed to be heading for defeat at 83-6 at one stage but a remarkable stand of 69 off 40 balls between Player of the Match Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka swung the game once again in their favour. Although both batsmen were dismissed off successive deliveries with eight required there was no denying Kandy the win as Ramesh Mendis completed the job for them.

Kandy’s top-order did not fire, and it was left to the calm Kamindu who played a responsible innings of 54 off 36 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes) and Shanaka (39 off 21 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) who came in and took the pressure off Kamindu with a couple of sixes and brought the asking rate under control.

After being put into bat Colombo managed to post a fighting total. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Muhammad Waseem started aggressively, but two wickets in two balls in the third over changed the momentum. Glenn Phillips’ run out for a duck was the highlight as Gurbaz sold him down the river. Newcomer Nipun Dhananjaya couldn’t make a real impact. Gurbaz and Sadeera Samarawickrama stitched a 40-run stand for the fourth wicket before Gurbaz fell to Wanindu Hasaranga for 30 off 29. Shadab Khan was knocked over by Hasaranga on the very next ball, but Samarawickrama kept going strong and picked his spots and played the ball on its merit. He raised a brilliant fifty (62 off 45 balls, 7 fours) and his 50-run stand with Dunith Wellalage (28) helped Colombo’s cause. Kandy finished on a high especially in the last two overs with Dasun Shanaka and Mohammad Hasnain taking three wickets between them and conceding only 13 runs (including 2 byes).

Kandy will play Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2 on Saturday with the winners meeting Galle Marvels in the final on Sunday.

Scores: 

Colombo Strikers – 159-8 (20) (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 30, Sadeera Samarawickrama 62, Dunith Wellalage 28, Mohammad Hasnain 3/24, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/21)

Kandy Falcons – 163-8 (18.4) (Andre Fletcher 20, Kamindu Mendis 54, Dasun Shanaka 39, Binura Fernando 3/35, Matheesha Pathirana 3/38)