Kandurata set Basnahira meeting

Chris Dhambarage

Kandurata Province set up a final showdown with Basnahira Province while outplaying Ruhuna by seven wickets in the SLC Inter Provincial limited overs cricket tournament second semifinal match worked off under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Kehattarama yesterday.

Ruhuna electing to bat first after winning the toss failed to capitalize and were bundled out for just 141 runs in 40.2 overs with opening bowler Nuwan Kulasekera doing the early damage.

The spinners Muttiah Muralitharn and Sachith Pathirana then added the finishing touches while sharing five wickets between them. Only five boundaries were scored in the entire Ruhuna innings with opener Upul Tharanga stroking four and Kaushal Silva stroking one.

Kandurata in reply raced to their target in 28.5 overs overs with Sachith Pathirana smashing 47 runs from just 35 deliveries inclusive of two sixes and four boundaries. He also put on 68 runs for the second wicket along with opener Yohan de Silva.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Chamara Kapugedera then went on to add the finishing touches with an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 49 runs.

The final between Kandurata Province and Ruhuna Province will be worked off on Wednesday at the same venue under lights.

Ruhuna: 141 in 40.2 overs (U. Tharanga 22, S. Serasinghe 35, K. Silva 38, N. Kulasekera 2 for 31, M. Muralitharan 3 for 24, S. Pathirana 2 for 31)

Kandurata: 142 for 3 in 28.5 overs (Y. de Silva 32, S. Pathirana 47, K. Sangakkara 21 n. o, C. Kapugedera 27 n. o)