Dambulla Sixers see winning post for first time

By M. Shamil Amit Reporting from Dambulla

(Daily Mirror) - Dambulla Sixers having undergone three successive defeats in the ongoing fifth Lanka Premier League tournament saw the winning post for the first time with an easy eight wicket win over Colombo Strikers in the 10th match played under floodlights at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium yesterday.

Dambulla Sixers win came by courtesy of a swashbuckling opening wicket partnership of 154 runs in just 88 balls between Kusal Perera who slammed 80 in 50 balls inclusive of eight boundaries and four sixes and Reeza Hendricks who cracked 54 in 39 balls with four boundaries and three sixes which helped them to race to the target with 13 balls to spare.

Colombo Strikers taking first lease of the wicket was given a flying start by openers Angelo Perera and Rahmnullah Gurbaz who together put on 73 runs in 51 balls before they were separated with the dismissal of Perera who was unfortunate to miss out on a half ton but made brisk 42 in 27 balls inclusive of six boundaries and a six.

From there on they lost wickets at regular intervals but was buoyed by a 59 runs stand for the sixth wicket between Glenn Phillips who made a top score of 52 in 36 overs with a boundary and three sixes and Chamika Karunaratne which helped them to end with a score of 185 for 6.

• Chied scores:

Colombo Strikers: 185 for 6 in 20 overs (G. Philliips 52, A. Perera 41, R. Gurbaz 36, C. Karunaratne 27 n.o.: M. Nabi 2/20, N. Pradeep 2/27, D. Hemantha 1-22)

Dambulla Sixers: 188 for 2 in 17.5 overs (K. Perera 80, R. Hendricks 54, M. Chapman 23 n.o.: T. Ahmed 2/45)