Sri Lanka Cricket Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Tournament, 2nd Semi- Final: Kandurata v Ruhuna - Match Recap
In the second semi-final of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 Cricket Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Tournament, Ruhuna beat Kandurata by 7 runs to book their passage to the final. The match was played at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on 30 July, 2011.
Batting first, Ruhuna made 155 for 8 in their 20 overs after some good middle-order batting display.
However, it was the bowling that came good, with the pick being http://www.senore.com/Cricket/UWMBCA-Welegedara-c2735, who took 3 crucial wickets to help his side attain a narrow victory.
The match began with Kandurata’s captain, Tharanga Paranavitana, winning the toss and putting the visitors into bat first.
It was a slow start, as the wicket fell in only the second over of the day, where opener, Amal Althulathmudali failed to connect to a delivery by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jehan-Mubarak-c66822 and was trapped in front after just making 5.
The pressure was maintained by the hosts as they bowled to a good line and length. The second wicket fell on the score of 19, when Mubarak again was in the thick of action, shattering the stumps of skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahela-Lakmal-Udawatte-c73806 who could only manage 10.
The middle-order than added quick runs, with cameos by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LD-Chandimal-c1831 (25), Sampath (23) and Milinda Siriwardana (18).
The most important knock came from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Liyanabadlge-Janaka-Prabath-Gunaratne-c73032, top scoring with a unbeaten 29 of 23 balls, which included 3 fours and a hefty blow out of the Park.
He along with no 10, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gagabada-Arachchige-Chinthaka-Rasanga-Perera-c58296 helped the side cross the 150 mark. Perera in his brisk 21 which came of just 10 deliveries also hit 3 boundaries and a six.
The bowlers for the hosts started well but could not contain the late onslaught which later was crucial, considering the outcome of the match. Surprisingly, recently retired Sri Lankan off-spinner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Muralitharan-c1864 was the most expensive of the lot,
as he went for 36 in his four overs, without getting any wicket.
Kandurata’s start to innings was sensational with opener, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kaluarachchige-Yohan-de-Silva-c70031 staring with 2 fours and a six in just the first over. However, his demise also came as quick as Sampath cleaned him up with a ripper.
Three more fell in quick succession with the most notable being http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KC-Sangakkara-c1779, who played a subdued knock of 7 off 11 deliveries, becoming Sampath’s second scalp, the hosts reeling at 4-29.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/NT-Paranavitana-c2132, the skipper, then provided much needed stability playing an excellent knock of 46 of just 33 balls. He hit 3 fours and couple of biggies to help the team pass the 100-run mark.
After he fell, innings collapsed as Welegedera grabbed three crucial scalps to end the dream of Kandurata of reaching the final.
In the end, the host could only make 148 in 19.5 overs, just narrowly defeated by a margin of just 7 runs.
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