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Beat Kandurata by seven runs in ‘semis’:
Ruhuna meets Wayamba in T20 final today
It should be a close tussle for supremacy when the high-riding Ruhuna
takes on Wayamba in the final of the Sri Lanka Cricket conducted
Inter-Provincial T20 tournament to be played at Premadasa Stadium,
Colombo today.
Medium paceman Chanaka Welagedara (3 for 26) and off spinner Nishan
Sampath (2 for 26) guided Ruhuna to an exciting seven-run win over
Kandurata in the semi finals played at the same venue yesterday. But
Wayamba was lucky to make it to the final after their first semi final
was washed off due to morning showers.
Put into bat, Ruhuna made 155 for 8 in 20 overs with Janaka
Gunaratne making a top score of 29 not out off 23 balls.
Kandurata never looked comfortable after losing four early wickets
and could only muster 148 all out in 19.5 overs, despite a lone effort
by Sri Lanka bat Tharanga Paranavithana who scored 46 runs off 33 balls
with two sixers and three boundaries.
Earlier in the day, umpires Saliya Kottahachchi and Ruchira
Palliyaguru decided to call off the first semi final between Basnahira
and Wayamba without a ball being bowled due to morning rain at the same
venue.
Earlier in the league stage of the inaugural T20 inter-provincial
tournament, Jeevantha Kulatunga’s unbeaten half century helped Basnahira
to register a 34-run win over Ruhuna. No. 3 bat Kulatunga had a majestic
knock of 69 off 47 with six fours and four sixes as Basnahira made 166
for 3 in 20 overs. Ruhuna stumbled from 74 for 3 to 78 for 6 and finally
folded for 132 in the 19th over. The win enabled Basnahira to enter the
final in style by heading the final league stage points table.
Combined Provinces, in their final league match came out with an
improved performance, to beat Wayamba. Chasing 156 runs to win, Combined
Provinces reached their target with nine balls to spare. The run chase
was built around an explosive 52 from Ashan Priyanjan, and 33 apiece
from Dhanushka Gunathilleke and Jeevan Mendis. Batting first, Wayamba
made only 155 for 7 in 20 0vers.
Chief scores:
Ruhuna 155 for 8 in 20 overs (Janaka Gunaratne 29 n.o, Dinesh
Chandimal 25, Nishan Sampath 23, Jehan Mubarak 2 for 18, Akalanka
Ganagama 2 for 39, Saliya Saman 2 for 24).
Kandurata: 148 all out in 19.5 overs (Tharanga Paranavithana 46,
Jehan Mubarak 28, Chanaka Welagedara 3 for 26, Nishan Sampath 2 for 26).
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