Mathews strikes form, guides Dambulla win over Kandy

A brilliantly crafted century by Angelo Mathews and a magnificent 95 by Bhanuka Rajapaksa helped Team Dambulla record a 94 run win over Team Kandy in the third place play-off match played at Dambulla International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Skipper Mathews and Rajapaksa put on 150 runs for the fourth wicket after they were reeling at 45 for 3 to score a massive 325 runs for the loss of 5 wickets.  

Mathews hit 101 off 106 balls with nine boundaries and two sixes while Rajapaksa missed out on a deserving century scored his runs off 87 balls with 11 boundaries and two sixes. The total was also propelled by two quick-fire innings by Jeevan Mendis (50 not out) and Isuru Udana (34 not out).

Mendis had three sixes and two fours in his 33 ball innings while Udana hit three boundaries and two sixes in his 14 ball knock. Niroshan Dickwella and Dhanushka Gunathilaka continued their miserable form yet again scoring 4 and 15 respectively. This could probably have shattered any hopes they had on making it to the 15-man World Cup squad. Nuwan Pradeep and Thisara Perera picked up two wickets apiece.

Chasing a mammoth total, Team Kandy had the worst possible start with their in-form skipper Dimuth Karunaratne was cleaned up by Vishwa Fernando for a duck. There were two half centuries by Sadeera Samarwickrema (70) and Sangeeth Cooray (56) but all what Kandy could managed was 231 runs, bowled out in the 43^rd over.