Kamindu, Chamika excel again to put SLC Greens in final

SLC Greens spinner Dushan Hemantha celebrates wicket on his way to 4-wicket haul

• Kusal Perera stretchered out after being hit by pacie Madushan
• SLC T20 League

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

SLC Greens led by Kamindu Mendis documented their third win in as many matches beating a hapless SLC Blues by 72 runs at the SSC grounds yesterday to enter the final of the SLC T20 League with a game in hand.

For the SLC Blues it was their third successive defeat and it has virtually put them out of the contest. Their only outside hope of qualifying for the final is for SLC Greys, the third team in the tournament loses both their remaining two matches, one of which is against them tomorrow.

SLC Blues had only themselves to blame for the defeat, they had SLC Greens at their mercy at 57-5 in the ninth over, but allowed them to recover and post a total of 158-6. When it came to their turn to bat SLC Blues lacked the intent to chase down the total and folded up for a paltry 86 off 15 overs.

SLC Blues never got their innings going losing three wickets in the first power play for 37 and worse still having their most experienced batsman Kusal Perera taken off the field on a stretcher after being hit on his left index finger by a full ball from Pramod Madushan. It was later revealed that he had gone for an X-Ray to find the extent of his injury.

It was Madushan bowling at his fiery best who struck a painful blow on Vishen Halambage’s elbow before rattling his stumps off the next delivery. Nishan Madushka’s innings was cut short by a stunning head high catch by Kamil Mishara at cover point. Mishara had kept wickets in the first two games before handing over the gloves to Kusal Mendis yesterday.  

At one stage of their innings SLC Greens invited to bat first were looking down the barrel having lost half their side for 57. But as in the first game of the tournament, skipper Kamindu Mendis and all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne came to their rescue. While Mendis anchored the innings with 50 off 39 balls (5 fours) getting most of his runs on the leg side, picking the gaps well and taking on the spinners fearlessly, Karunaratne went after the bowling slamming two fours and two sixes for an undefeated 41 off 30 balls. The pair added 82 off 60 balls which eventually proved to be the turning point of the match.

It was the same pair that lifted SLC Greens out of trouble in their first game against the same opposition. On that occasion from 42-5, adding 65 for the sixth wicket to see their side home by 4 wickets.

Chamika Karunaratne and Kamindu Mendis rescued SLC Greens with stand of 82

Karunaratne with two unbeaten knocks of 47 and 41 batting at no. 6 and bowling performances of 3/17 and 2/17 is making a strong claim for a place in the T20I side. He is currently the leading run scorer (95 runs) and leading wicket-taker (5 wickets) in the tournament. Another player who is making a statement in the tournament is 21-year-old uncapped off-spin all-rounder Traveen Mathew whose 4 wickets have come at an economy rate of 7.27 in addition to his fine fielding having held onto 5 catches.

Right now Karunaratne has his nose ahead of Dasun Shanaka for the all-rounder’s position at 6. Shanaka’s weakness against spin was once more exposed when Kamindu Mendis brought on leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha and he obliged with Shanaka’s wicket having him caught in the deep to a poor stroke.

By the halfway stage of their innings SLC Blues were already down in the dumps at 62-6 and it was easy pickings for Hemantha as he finished with impressive figures of 4/18 including that of Test Captain Dhananjaya de Silva who spooned an easy return catch.

Scores: SLC Greens 158-6 (20) (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 20, Kamindu Mendis 50, Chamika Karunaratne 41*, Dilshan Madushanka 2/32, Akila Dananjaya 2/25)

SLC Blues 86 (15) (Dhananjaya de Silva 18, Chamika Karunaratne 2/17, Dushan Hemantha 4/18)