Galle Marvels into play-offs after Super Over win

Maheesh Theekshana was brilliant in final over as well as the Super Over for Galle Marvels

Reeza Hendricks anchored Dambulla’s run chase nicely until last over

It doesn’t get any better than this. A Super Over, only the third in the history of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), saw Galle Marvels led by Niroshan Dickwella beat Mohammad Nabi’s Dambulla Sixers to ensure their place in the play-offs along with Jaffna Kings, with each team having 10 points from seven games.

The first double-header of the day at the R. Premadasa Stadium saw Galle Marvels, restricted to a score of 148-9, fight back brilliantly to limit Dambulla to the same score 148-7, thus forcing a Super Over. The game kept swinging like a pendulum from one team to another, and at the end of 40 overs neither were still separated.

Galle Marvels seemed down and out at the halfway mark. But their bowlers got them back into the game and the Super Over was a mismatch. 

Galle got off to a good start with Alex Hales taking down Nuwan Thushara and Dilshan Madushanka as he raced away to 38 off 26 balls before the spinners came on and slowed down the game. Dushan Hemantha and Nabi collectively conceded 33 runs in their eight overs, picking up four wickets as Galle slumped to 93-5. 

However, cameos from Dwaine Pretorius (16 off 12) and Sahan Arachchige (15 off 12) helped them recover from the middle-overs stutter with six runs coming off that final, which helped Galle finish with a competitive total.

Dambulla got off to a good start – 50/2 in the powerplay – but never got the momentum to chase down the target. Reeza Hendricks (72 off 57 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) kept going at one end but until Nabi came out, there was no real support for him at the other. The pair added 46 runs for the sixth wicket and virtually had the match sewn up with eight needed off the final over. The South African anchored the chase nicely until the point he got dismissed with six needed off the last four balls. 

Player of the Match Maheesh Theekshana was brilliant in the final over. He took the game into the Super Over. Dickwella went for Theekshana in the Super Over as well and the spinner delivered, keeping Dambulla down to just six runs. Hales struck his first ball for a boundary and then finished things off with a maximum.

 – (ST)

Scores:

 Galle Marvels 148-9 (20) (Alex Hales 38, Tim Seifert 23, Nuwan Pradeep 2/42, Dushan Hemantha 2/19, Mohammad Nabi 2/14)

Dambulla Sixers 148-7 (20) (Reeza Hendricks 72, Ibrahim Zadran 30, Mohammad Nabi 25, Maheesh Theekshana 3/26)

Super Over: Dambulla Sixers 6-2; Galle Marvels 12-0.