Skipper Hasaranga guides B-Love Kandy to easy win

An all round performance by skipper Wanindu Hasaranga led the way for B-Love Kandy to coast to an easy 89 runs win over Galle Titans in the 12th match of the Lanka Premier League T20 tournament encounter played at the Pallekele International Stadium today.

Skipper Hasaranga who slammed a 27 ball knock of 64 runs in B-Love Kandy’s formidable score of 203 for 5 followed it up with an impressive match figure of 4 for 17 to send Galle Titans in pursuit of 204 runs reeling to a score of 114 runs.

Galle Titans was never going to be in the run chase after Mujeeb Ur Rahman bagged two scalps as they were made to struggle for their runs. It was almost over when they lost wickets at regular intervals with Hasaranga along with Nuwan Pradeep doing further damage in the middle order batting.

Galle Titans tottering on 47 for 6 in the ninth over and despite Lahiru Samarakoon and Ashan Priyanjan put in some resistance who together shared 62 runs for the seventh wicket it was not going to take the Galle Titans out of the woods as skipper Hasaranga cleaned off the tail to bundle them out for a meager 114 runs.

B-Love Kandy in the process took sweet revenge for their 83 runs defeat at the hands of Galle Titans in the first round match as they succeeded to chalk up their third win of the tournament.

B-Love Kandy skipper Wanindu Hasaranga celebrated his feat of taking 200 wickets which he achieved against Jaffna Kings at the same ground a few days ago with a match winning knock of 64 runs in 27 balls which had nine boundaries and two sixes after they were invited to take first lease of the wicket.

Hasaranga shared a valuable 87 runs stand for the fourth wicket in only 44 balls with Angelo Mathews whose contribution was 40 off 23 balls which had three boundaries and two sixes after Fakhar Zaman who made 45 in 35 balls with three boundaries and two sixes along with Dinesh Chandimal put on 49 runs for the second wicket.

Following Hasaranga’s dismissal with B-Love Kandy on 198 for 5 they were left just four balls to negotiate but succeeded to end with an imposing score of 203 for 5 which incidentally was the highest score of the tournament so far. (M. Shamil Amit Reporting from Pallekele Stadium)

Result:

At Pallekele – B-Love Kandy won by 89 runs

• B-Love Kandy 203 for 5 in 20 overs (Wanindu Hasaranga 64, Fakhar Zaman 45, Angelo Mathews 40, Dinesh Cahndimal 25, Mohammad Haris 17: Lahiru Samarakoon 2 for 31)
• Galle Titans 114 in 16.4 overs (Lahiru Samarakoon 36, Lasith Croospulle 27, Ashan Priyanjan 25: Wanindu Hasaranga 4 for 17, Nuwan Pradeep 3 for 21, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2 for 26)