First game of SLC T20 League – hardly any food for thought for selectors

Friday, 8 August 2025 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Bowlers hold sway in low-scoring contest

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The first game of the SLC T20 League organised by Sri Lanka Cricket to provide the national selectors with some input towards picking the T20I side for Zimbabwe hardly provided any food for thought.

In a low scoring contest at the SSC grounds yesterday, SLC Greens led by Kamindu Mendis beat SLC Blues captained by Dunith Wellalage by 4 wickets with 19 balls to spare.

What was most disappointing was that neither side came up with any batting contributions to catch the eye. Blues invited to bat first didn’t last their full quota of overs being bundled out for 143 in 19.4.

Greens on the other hand lost half their top order for 42 virtually inside the first power play (6.1 overs), but recovered to post a victory through a 60-run partnership off 7 overs between Kamindu Mendis (36 off 26, 4 fours) and Chamika Karunaratne (47* off 31 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes).

Karunaratne in fact was the star of the match seeing his team home after losing Mendis with 37 still required. His batting display followed a wonderful spell of bowling where he took 3/17 that included two top order wickets. He was lucky at 25 to survive a possible run out chance as the on-field umpire didn’t have the third umpire facility to check on close or contentious decisions.

Only Pathum Nissanka (28 off 10 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and Kusal Perera (24 off 25 balls, 3 fours) made any noteworthy contribution towards the Blues total. The Blues failed to build any meaningful partnerships apart from an opening stand of 42.

Dasun Shanaka bowling on his home turf hit the right lengths to pick up two wickets in his first over and a further one in his second conceding 17 runs to give the Blues hopes of pulling off a win. But Kamindu Mendis and Karunaratne ensured the Blues didn’t have it their own way.

Matheesha Pathirana was disappointing conceding 21 runs in the only over he bowled which included three wides. It seems he has still not overcome the problem of wides having set up an unwanted record of bowling the most number of wides by a bowler (32) in IPL 2025.

A feature of the Greens batting was their slick running between the wickets putting the Blues fielders under pressure.

Today SLC Greys led by national white ball skipper Charith Asalanka will come out for the first time when they take on SLC Blues.

Scores:

SLC Blues 143 (19.4) (Pathum Nissanka 28, Kusal Perera 24, Nuwan Thushara 2/36, Dushmantha Chameera 2/28, Traveen Mathew 2/34, Chamika Karunaratne 3/17)

SLC Greens 144-6 (16.5) (Kamindu Mendis 36, Chamika Karunaratne 47*, Dasun Shanaka 3/17, Akila Dananjaya 2/22)

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