Dambulla Giants and Galle Gladiators split points in rain-ruined match

The Lanka Premier League (LPL) produced its second no-result decision in its brief history when heavy rain deprived the first double-header of the day between Dambulla Giants and Galle Gladiators to be played to a finish at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Galle were chasing a target of 160, but the rain, which had interrupted the Dambulla innings briefly in the 17th over, returned once more in all its fury to put a permanent halt to the match with Galle having faced just 1.2 overs and scoring 18/0 off it. Both teams split the two points.

Dambulla had its skipper Dasun Shanaka and Ramesh Mendis to thank for getting them to a decent total of 159/7, after their batting was throttled by the Galle spinners Samit Patel, Noor Ahmed and Mohammad Hafeez, who conceded only 61 runs off 12 overs whilst grabbing four wickets to have them tottering at 79/5.

Shanaka carried the innings for his side with 37 of 32 balls (three fours, one six), but it was Mendis who caught the eye. Improving in stature with every match, he showed his hand as a batsman, striking an unbeaten 33* off 23 balls with two sixes and a four.

Earlier, the in-form Phil Salt, dropped by Patel before he had scored, started off in his usual aggressive fashion, striking the ball with sweet timing to race to 20 off 12 balls taking four fours in an over off Lahiru Madushanka, but his innings was short-lived when he lobbed the ball off Nuwan Thushara to point. The introduction of spin soon after the first power play when Dambulla were strongly placed at 53/1 saw a flurry of wickets fall with 4/18 falling within a space of four overs, including that of Niroshan Dickwella for 30. – (ST)

Result:

Dambulla Giants 159-7 (20) (Niroshan Dickwella 30, Phil Salt 20, Dasun Shanaka 37, Ramesh Mendis 33*, Nuwan Thushara 2/24, Noor Ahmed 2/24) Galle Gladiators 18-0 (1.2) – No Result.