In the opening match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) between Dambulla Sixers and Kandy Falcons at Kandy, the Falcons emerged victorious by 6 wickets with 16 balls remaining.
Dasun Shanaka and Mohammad Hasnain set the tone early for Kandy, wreaking havoc in the initial overs and reducing Dambulla to a precarious 25 for 4 within 4.1 overs.
However, a resilient partnership between Mark Chapman and Chamindu Wickramasinghe offered hope to Dambulla, steering them towards what seemed like a competitive total. Yet, their efforts were in vain as Kandy's experienced trio of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, and Dasun Shanaka swiftly seized control.
The surface offered no unexpected challenges, as Kandy's batsmen confidently chased down the target set by Dambulla. In response, Dambulla's bowlers struggled to find their rhythm, failing to maintain consistent lines and lengths. Consequently, they faced punishment from the Kandy batsmen, who secured a comfortable victory.
The defeat leaves Dambulla Sixers with much to ponder at the start of the season, particularly concerning their bowling strategies and overall performance in the LPL.
Dambulla Sixers: 179/4 in 20 overs
Mark Chapman: 91* runs off 61 balls
Chamindu Wickramasinghe: 62* runs off 42 balls
Dasun Shanaka: 3/20 in 4 overs
Mohammad Hasnain: 1/53 in 4 overs
Kandy Falcons: 183/4 in 17.2 overs
Dinesh Chandimal: 65 runs off 40 balls
Dasun Shanaka: 46* runs off 15 balls
Akila Dananjaya: 1/29 in 4 overs
Chamindu Wickramasinghe: 1/31 in 3 overs
Dinesh Chandimal and Dasun Shanaka played crucial innings to lead Kandy Falcons to victory, chasing down the target easily.
Dasun Shanaka, Player of the Match: "Coming to this tournament, the captain and the team had a plan to give me the new ball. Happy to contribute. I gave some time for me with the bat. In practice, coaches helped me with the balance. Happy with the result, looking forward to more such days, but not a great day, my friend passed away. Wickramasinghe and Chapman are quality players, the mixture with international players helps in this tournament."
Mohammad Nabi, Dambulla captain: "Good recovery from Chapman and Wiki, to put on a 150-run partnership. Everyone knows Pallekele is a batting pitch. We were a few runs short, overall a good game of cricket. Really happy to be involved in the last moment. Normally we perform well as a team."
Wanindu Hasaranga, Kandy captain: "Credit should go to our batters. Chandimal batted well, Shanaka's allround efforts were good, Mathews is the best finisher. The wicket was very good. The first five-six overs, the ball was swinginging, and after that the wicket was good. We bowled a few no-balls, need to pay attention. Playing an U-23 player is good, we should play young players. That is good for Sri Lanka cricket."
The match featured two additional powerplay overs at the death. The two "power-blast overs", were the 16th and 17th overs of each completed innings, and had a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. This is in addition to the usual powerplay in the first six, where only two fielders are allowed outside the circle.
The new feature was designed to create "a more aggressive and thrilling phase of the game", according to a LPL statement. "We decided to bring this innovation in order to create further excitement for the league, which is growing year by year," Samantha Dodanwela, the LPL's tournament director, said in the statement. "This new introduction is sure to generate a lot of excitement among the fans, and the teams will need to strategise effectively to make the most of this period."
Outside of the two sets of power overs, a maximum of five fielders, as per normal, can be in the outfield.
Kandy made most of this rule in chasing the target, while Dambulla were a little circumspect during that period.
Dasun Shanaka and Mohammad Hasnain set the tone early for Kandy, wreaking havoc in the initial overs and reducing Dambulla to a precarious 25 for 4 within 4.1 overs.
However, a resilient partnership between Mark Chapman and Chamindu Wickramasinghe offered hope to Dambulla, steering them towards what seemed like a competitive total. Yet, their efforts were in vain as Kandy's experienced trio of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, and Dasun Shanaka swiftly seized control.
The surface offered no unexpected challenges, as Kandy's batsmen confidently chased down the target set by Dambulla. In response, Dambulla's bowlers struggled to find their rhythm, failing to maintain consistent lines and lengths. Consequently, they faced punishment from the Kandy batsmen, who secured a comfortable victory.
The defeat leaves Dambulla Sixers with much to ponder at the start of the season, particularly concerning their bowling strategies and overall performance in the LPL.
Dambulla Sixers: 179/4 in 20 overs
Mark Chapman: 91* runs off 61 balls
Chamindu Wickramasinghe: 62* runs off 42 balls
Dasun Shanaka: 3/20 in 4 overs
Mohammad Hasnain: 1/53 in 4 overs
Kandy Falcons: 183/4 in 17.2 overs
Dinesh Chandimal: 65 runs off 40 balls
Dasun Shanaka: 46* runs off 15 balls
Akila Dananjaya: 1/29 in 4 overs
Chamindu Wickramasinghe: 1/31 in 3 overs
Dinesh Chandimal and Dasun Shanaka played crucial innings to lead Kandy Falcons to victory, chasing down the target easily.
Dasun Shanaka, Player of the Match: "Coming to this tournament, the captain and the team had a plan to give me the new ball. Happy to contribute. I gave some time for me with the bat. In practice, coaches helped me with the balance. Happy with the result, looking forward to more such days, but not a great day, my friend passed away. Wickramasinghe and Chapman are quality players, the mixture with international players helps in this tournament."
Mohammad Nabi, Dambulla captain: "Good recovery from Chapman and Wiki, to put on a 150-run partnership. Everyone knows Pallekele is a batting pitch. We were a few runs short, overall a good game of cricket. Really happy to be involved in the last moment. Normally we perform well as a team."
Wanindu Hasaranga, Kandy captain: "Credit should go to our batters. Chandimal batted well, Shanaka's allround efforts were good, Mathews is the best finisher. The wicket was very good. The first five-six overs, the ball was swinginging, and after that the wicket was good. We bowled a few no-balls, need to pay attention. Playing an U-23 player is good, we should play young players. That is good for Sri Lanka cricket."
The match featured two additional powerplay overs at the death. The two "power-blast overs", were the 16th and 17th overs of each completed innings, and had a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard circle. This is in addition to the usual powerplay in the first six, where only two fielders are allowed outside the circle.
The new feature was designed to create "a more aggressive and thrilling phase of the game", according to a LPL statement. "We decided to bring this innovation in order to create further excitement for the league, which is growing year by year," Samantha Dodanwela, the LPL's tournament director, said in the statement. "This new introduction is sure to generate a lot of excitement among the fans, and the teams will need to strategise effectively to make the most of this period."
Outside of the two sets of power overs, a maximum of five fielders, as per normal, can be in the outfield.
Kandy made most of this rule in chasing the target, while Dambulla were a little circumspect during that period.
