T20 World Cup discards show form after selection

Players who failed to make it to Sri Lanka’s final 15 for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, showed form with the bat in the fifth match of the SLC T20 World Cup preparation tri-series played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Niroshan Dickwella and Avishka Fernando hit fifties apiece and shared an opening partnership of 125 off 55 balls for SLC Reds who defeated SLC Greens by 38 runs.

Dickwella scored 69 off 32 balls (12 fours, 2 sixes) and Fernando 52 off 30 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) as they helped Reds to run up a challenging total of 212-6.

Greens in reply could muster only 174-7 with Kusal Perera scoring a half-century (57 off 30 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes), Ramesh Mendis 46 off 31 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes) and Chamika Karunaratne 33* off 30 balls (1 four, 2 sixes).

Sri Lanka’s part-time bowlers Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka took two wickets apiece.

The sixth and final match of the series will take place today at the same venue between SLC Yellow and SLC Green.

Scores: SLC Reds 212-6 (20) (Niroshan Dickwella 69, Avishka Fernando 52, Kamindu Mendis 23, Tharindu Ratnayake 2/28)

SLC Greens 174-7 (20) (Kusal Perera 57, Ramesh Mendis 46, Chamika Karunaratne 33*, Charith Asalanka 2/22, Dasun Shanaka 2/18)