Wayamba retain Twenty20 title

Chris Dhambarage

Lanka Bell Wayamba retained the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) organized SLT Inter Provincial Twenty20 title for the second successive year with a five wicket victory over the Lexmark Basnahira South team in the final worked off at the SSC grounds in Maitland Place yesterday.

The unbeaten Basnahira South were bowled out for 144 runs in the last over of the innings and Wayamba Province reached their target with five wickets and one over to spare.

Even then the manner in which Wayamba turned the game in their favour was really outstanding after been under tremendous pressure at one stage of the game.

Basnahira South were cruising along towards a big total after they had won the toss and elected to bat first. However in a dramatic turn of events Basnahira South lost their last nine wickets for the addition of just eleven runs with Isuru Udana causing most of the damage. The left arm seamer from NCC produced a sensational spell and claimed four wickets in one over to boost his chances of earning a place in the Sri Lanka Twenty20 squad for the ICC World Cup in England.

In fact Isuru Udana later went on to win a hattrick of awards and was named Best Bowler, Man of the Final and Player of the Tournament. In addition Indika de Saram of Ruhuna Province was picked as the best batsman of the tournament.

Basnahira South who were well placed at 133 for 2 at one stage slumped to 135 for 5 in one over and they never recovered from there onwards. They were of course provided with a fine start by skipper Tillekeratne Dilshan who hit a top score of 66 from 49 deliveries inclusive of three sixes and four boundaries.

Dilshan added 60 runs for the first wicket with Dilruwan Perera and also put on a further 73 runs for the second wicket along with his Bloomfield teammate Chamara Silva who hit an aggressive 41 from just 29 deliveries with the help of one six and four boundaries.

Wayamba Province then went about their task in style with an explosive start from the openers Jeevantha Kulatunga and Mahela Udawate who were associated in a stand of 46 runs.

The former hit a 19 ball 28 and the latter struck five boundaries during his 16 ball 25.

Skipper Jehan Mubarak and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena consolidated their position before both were run out within the space of three runs. However all rounder Kaushal Lokuarachchi carried them home safely while adding the finishing touches with a sparkling 29.

BASNAHIRA South

Tillekeratne Dilshan lbw b Udana 		66
Dilruwan Perera c T. Perera b. Kulatunga 	18
Chamara Silva c Jayawardena b Udana 		41
Lahiru Thirimanna lbw b Udana 			 5
Milinda Siriwardena c jayawardena b Udana	 0
Hasantha Fernando run out			 0
Gihan Rupasinghe lbw b Mendis			 0
Malinga Bandara run out				 1
Chinthaka Perera obstructing the field		 2
Himesh Silva c Udawatte b.T. Perera 		 1
Suranga Lakmal not out				 0

EXTRAS (b2, lb1, w7)				10
TOTAL all out  in 19.1 overs 			144

Fall of Wickets: 1-60, 2-133, 3-134, 4-134, 5-135, 6-135, 7-140, 8-142, 9-144.
Bowling: F. Maharoof 4-0-33-0, T. Perera 3.1-0-18-1, I. Udana 4-0-31-4, K. Lokuarachchi 3-0-12-0, J. Kulatunga 1-0-7-0, A. mendis 4-0-40-1.


WAYAMBA

Jeevantha Kulatunga c Bandara b H. Silva 	28
Mahela Udawatte b H. Silva 			25
Jehan Mubarak run out				32
Mahela jayawardena run out			11
Kaushal Lokuarachchi c Siriwardena b C. Perera 	29
Farveez Maharoof not out			 3
Thisara Perera not out 				 8

EXTRAS (w4, lb4, b5) 				 13
TOTAL for 5 wickets in 19 overs 		149

Fall of Wicketes: 1-46, 2-69, 3-97, 4-135, 5-138
Bowling: S. Lakmal 3-0-28-0, C. Perera 3-0-32-1, D. Perera 4-0-24-0, H. Silva 3-0-18-2, M. Bandara 4-0-18-0, H. Fernando 1-0-7-0. T. Dilshan 1-0-13-0.