Sachithra pilots Sri Lanka to victory
Sajeewa Jayakody reporting from Dambulla
An Impressive all-round performances by Sachithra Senanayake powered
Sri Lanka to a series levelling 36-run win over New Zealand on Duckworth
Levis Method in the third and final One Day International of the
three-match Dialog Cup Series which ended at Rangiri Dambulla
International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan plays a shot during
the third and final One Day International (ODI) cricket
match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the Rangiri
Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in Dambulla, some 150
km north of Colombo, on November 16, 2013. AFP |
Man of the match Senanayake, who smashed 14-ball 21 runs in Sri
Lanka’s total of 211-8 in 33 over, took two crucial wickets of the Black
Caps middle order putting visitors at unease. The impressive all-rounder
took a brilliant diving catch in the cover stretching forward to remove
hard hitting Luck Ronchi, who looked positive in the middle of the Kiwi
innings.
Left arm spinner Rangana Herath was the pick for hosts, as he
captured three for 25 in his six over spell.
Earlier, batting first, Sri Lanka made 211-8 in 33 overs.
Tillekeratne Dilshan, 36, the experienced opener scored his third fifty
(53 off 50 balls) in the series, putting on a solid opening partnership
of 90 runs with Mahela Jayawardene, who opened the innings replacing
continues failure Dimuth Karunaratne at the top of the order. Dilshan
earned the man-of-the-series award for his three half centuries in a
row.
Chasing a Duckworth Levis target of 216 in 33 overs, Black Caps were
at 126-6 in 25 overs. Last match’s hero, Nathan McCullum was unbeaten on
35 off 19 balls with Jammes Neesham was on 42 in 46 balls when bad light
stopped play. The pair had put on an unbroken 63 runs for the seventh
wicket before Sri Lanka were declared winners on the Duckworth Levis
Method.
Rain experienced before a ball being bowled just after the toss.
Black Caps stand-in captain Kyle Mills put Sri Lanka in and match
started at 11.30am.
Dilshan made his 33rd half century and third against Kiwis, while
Jayawardene fell for a run-a-ball 46.
Both Jayawardene and Dilshan played aggressively. Especially
Jayawardene hit his favourite shots over mid-wicket using big bottom
hand with free arms. Jayawardene fell for a run-a-ball 46 after putting
a solid 90-run partnership for the hosts, when the right hander top
edged Nathan McCullum’s second ball giving an easy catch to wicket
keeper Luck Ronchi.
After two balls, McCullum struck again, as Kumar Sangakkara was
bowled out off a low-pitched delivery, when the inform batsman attempted
to pull the ball. Ball clipped Sangakkara’s off stump. The decision was
reviwed by the TV umpire as the bails took some time to fall. But
Sangakkara, who scored back to back half centuries in Hambantota, was
given out for naught.
Tillekeratne Dilshan reached his third fifty in the series in just 45
balls when home team crossed the 100-run mark at the end of 16th over.
Mitchell McClenaghan, who was brought into the side instead of Adam
Milne, got the prized wicket of Tillekeratne Dilshan, who was caught
behind for 50-ball 53 after hitting eight fours, nicking for a full
length delivery.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews, who came to bat ahead of specialized
batsman Dinesh Chandimal, perished for a golden duck when the right
hander tried to drive through the off and edged to the wicket keeper
when the total was at 110-4 in 17.5 overs. Since then, Lahiru Thirimanne
and Dinesh Chandimal played some brilliant cricket shots to prop up the
home side before rain interrupted play at 1.15 for the second time.
Match revised for a 33-over game when play started at 3pm for the
third time a day. Thirimanne was deceived off Mills’s slow delivery as
the left hander caught at mid-off as a soft dismissal for 23 off 28
balls after hitting four fours.
Umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge took his time and raised his dreaded
index finger for Chandimal’s lbw decision off right arm seamer James
Neesham’s sharp inswinger, which hit right hander’s knee role. Chandimal
couldn’t believe and Sri Lanka were struggling losing last recognized
pair.
Hosts lost last five wickets for just 63 runs after the solid 90-run
opening stand of Dilshan and Jayawardene.
Rangana Herath took charge in the last two overs and helped Sri Lanka
reach 200 runs in 32.3 overs with a brilliant shot between point and
cover for four.
The left hander had sweet time in the penultimate over off Neesham as
the right arm seamer was hammered two fours through point and over
cover.
Sachithra Senanayake who has been batting intelligently throughout
his career as a reliable tail-ender, smashed the first six of the match
in the penultimate ball of the innings and followed it up with a single.
Herath and Senanayake shared a 27-run unfinished stand for the ninth
wicket in just 11 balls. The pair hit extremely hard with a sweet
timing, in the last two overs.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka:
M.Jayawardene c Ronchi b N. McCullum 46
T. Dilshan c Ronchi b McClenaghan 53
K. Sangakkara b N. McCullum 00
L. Thirimanne c Latham b Mills 23
A. Mathews c Ronchi b McClenaghan 00
D. Chandimal lbw b Neesham 15
T. Perera c Latham b Ellis 08
N. Kulasekara c Mills b Neesham 14
S. Senanayake not out 21
R. Herath not out 17
Extras: (b1, lb3, w9, nb1) 14
Total (for eight wickets, 33 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Jayawardene), 2-91 (Sangakkara)
3-110 (Dilshan), 4-110 (Mathews)
5-144 (Thirimanne), 6-146 (Chandimal)
7-165 (Perera), 8-184 (Kulasekara)
Bowling: Mills 6-1-35-1 (w1)
McClenaghan 7-0-34-2 (w3)
Ellis 6-0-51-1 (w2, nb1)
Devcich 3-0-31-0
Nicol 2-0-17-0 (w1)
N. McCullum 4-0-13-2
Neesham 5-0-26-2 (w1)
New Zealand
(Duckworth-Lewis target 216):
T. Latham lbw b Senanayake 09
A. Devcich c Herath b Kulasekara 05
R. Nicol st Sangakkara b Herath 01
G. Elliott b Herath 03
C. Munro b Senanayake 01
L. Ronchi c Senanayake b Herath 23
J. Neesham not out 42
N. McCullum not out 35
Extras: (lb1, w6) 07
Total (for six wickets, 25 overs) 126
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Devcich), 2-17 (Latham)
3-21 (Elliott), 4-22 (Munro)
5-26 (Nicol), 6-63 (Ronchi)
Bowling: Senanayake 5-1-14-2
Kulasekara 4-1-20-1 (w3)
Mathews 1-0-4-0
Herath 6-0-25-3
Dilshan 6-0-31-0
Malinga 3-0-31-0 (w3) |