Dhananjaya de Silva stars for Colombo Stars

Lanka Premier League Season 2

Tuesday, 7 December 2021 01:20 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Colombo Stars beat Galle Gladiators by four wickets in a tight finish to a low scoring game of the Lanka Premier League in the second double-header played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Dhananjaya de Silva led Colombo Stars from the front with a fine all-round performance to take the Player of the Match award 

 

Galle made only 116-8 after choosing to bat first, but Colombo did not have things their own way as Galle fought back to reduce them to 45-4 and 72-5 when Dhananjaya de Silva was dismissed for 24. However, some big hitting by Namibia’s David Wiese 22 with two sixes and the experience of Dinesh Chandimal who scored 26* off 27 balls saw them home.

De Silva carried his excellent form with the bat during the West Indies Test series into the LPL where, as stand-in skipper for the injured Angelo Mathews he led Colombo Stars from the front opening the bowling with his off breaks and capturing two crucial wickets for 18 runs that of Danushka Gunathilaka (1) and skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa (2) both caught behind by Kusal Perera and also held two catches to take the Player of the Match award.

Ben Dunk top scored for Galle with 38 off 25 balls, but the rest of the batting simply capitulated and only a 39-run ninth wicket stand between 16-year-old Afghan cricketer Noor Ahmed and experienced T20 campaigner Isuru Udana gave Galle something to defend.  

Scores

  •  Galle Gladiators 116-8 (20) (Ben Dunk 38, Isuru Udana 25*, Dhananjaya de Silva 2/18, Dushmantha Chameera 2/25, Akila Dananjaya 2/18)
  •  Colombo Stars 117-6 (17.3) (Dhananjaya de Silva 24, Dinesh Chandimal 26*, David Wiese 22, Nuwan Thushara 2/26, Pulina Tharanga 2/31) 

COMMENTS