Dambulla Giants mount challenge with win over Kandy Warriors

Player of the Match Phil Salt (left) and Niroshan Dickwella got Dambulla Giants to a tremendous start, posting 97 for the first wicket

Nuwan Pradeep and Ramesh Mendis took three wickets apiece for Dambulla Giants

Dambulla Giants did everything spectacularly to mount their challenge to win the Lanka Premier League (LPL) Season 2 by beating Kandy Warriors by 20 runs in the first double-header of the day at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Winning the toss and batting first, Dambulla were given a fabulous start by their openers – Phil Salt and the returning Niroshan Dickwella – who posted 97 off just 45 balls to get them to a total of 190/7.

Kandy, facing a tall task replied with 170/8; their batting being destroyed by the man of the moment Ramesh Mendis, who took three wickets in the middle overs, two of them in one over to break the back of the opponents’ batting. Continuing from where he left off in red-ball cricket – bagging the Player of the Series award in the two-Test series against West Indies – Mendis showed what confidence can bring out, bowling a superb spell to finish with figures of 3/21. He was well supported by the experienced Nuwan Pradeep, who also ended taking three wickets.

To round off a wonderful day for Dambulla, 22-year-old Nuwanidu Fernando produced the catch of the tournament so far, covering a lot of ground and then diving goal-keeper fashion to hold onto a terrific catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Ishan Jayaratne for 18 in the final over.

Needless to say, Kandy was outplayed in all departments, even though they put up a good fight till the end, courtesy of the power-hitting of Rovman Powell, who’s 42 off 21 balls rattled Dambulla somewhat and raised some hope. At 88/6 in the 13th over, Kandy looked down and out, but thanks to Powell, who cracked four sixes and a four, they at least made a fist of it.

Dickwella and Salt launched the Dambulla innings with a powerful assault on the Kandy bowlers who failed to bowl to their field and allowed the openers to take full advantage as they raced to 74/0 in the first power play.

Salt, the England and Sussex opener, hitting out strongly, reached a half century off 21 balls with consecutive sixes off leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage, showing that he was still in the T10 mode where he finished the Abu Dhabi tournament as the second highest run scorer with 344 runs at a strike rate of 240.55. His forceful knock of 64 off 24 balls with five sixes and four fours that won him the Player of the Match award set the platform for a huge total beyond 200, but Dambulla was unable to capitalise on the start given by the openers, losing 6/76 in the last 11 overs as Kandy came back strongly.

Dickwella started his comeback innings following the domestic ban with a boundary off Ishan Jayaratne and showed no signs of rustiness despite being out of competitive cricket since May. He batted and kept wickets with flair, scoring 37 off 23 balls and affected two stumpings off Mendis. Sri Lanka fast-bowler Lahiru Kumara, who was at the receiving end of Salt’s broad bat, made a good comeback in his second spell to pick up three wickets.

Result:

Dambulla Giants 190/7 (20) (Niroshan Dickwella 37, Phil Salt 64, Dasun Shanaka 24, Ramesh Mendis 22*, Lahiru Kumara 3/34, Al-Amin Hossain 2/36) beat Kandy Warriors 170/8 (20) (Angelo Perera 24, Rovman Powell 42, Sachindu Colombage 27*, Nuwan Pradeep 3/31, Ramesh Mendis 3/21) by 20 runs. (ST)