Defending champions Kandy kicked off their Lanka Premier League campaign off to a great start with a convincing victory over Dambulla. Kandy, under a new name ‘Kandy Falcons’ raced to a relatively easy victory over the Dambulla Sixers at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The game was a good tone setter as both teams displayed talent and grit, with Dambulla having been reduced to 25 for 4 going to post a strong 179 losing no more wickets.
In their chase, Kandy got off to a shaky start losing Andre Fletcher for a duck. The team recovered quickly as Dinesh Chandimal played a great counter-attacking innings that was later aided by Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews who scored 27 and 37 off 20 balls respectively. However, the player who took the game away from Dambulla was former national team captain Dasun Shanaka.
Dambulla gets off to a Rocky Start – But Recover thanks to Mark Chapman
The first game of a new season is always interesting. As the teams are looking to size up the opposition and new players are keen to make their first mark in the tournament. Things got off badly for the Dambulla side, who lost early wickets. With opener, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, and Bangladesh international Towhid Hridoy all dismissed for single-digit scores.
Then came a stunning 154-run partnership between Mark Chapman and Chamindu Wickramasinghe. There was naturally a lot of interest in how the international players would perform in the first game of the Lanka Premier League. The New Zealander Mark Chapman made a solid contribution stroking an unbeaten 91 off 61 inclusive of 4 sixes. He was aided by youngster Chamindu Wickramasinghe who made 62 off 42 with 3 sixes. With both players remaining unbeaten till the end of the Dambulla innings.
Kandy Response – Early Jitters but Comfortable Towards the End
Chasing a score of 179 in 20 overs in the first game of the Lanka Premier League was bound to be a tricky one. As the first game in the competition there were question marks on the pitch, the players and how each team would approach chasing under lights. Kandy, after an early setback, losing international Andre Fletcher for a duck, got into gear as Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis put on a solid stand taking the team’s total to 82 in the 10th over when the third wicket fell.
By now Kandy was in a decent position to make a charge towards the Dambulla score of 179. Angelo Mathews proving his worth as a veteran player in the Lanka Premier League and Sri Lanka, made a solid contribution of 37 off 20 holding the innings together until he was joined by former captain Dasun Shanaka. The former Sri Lanka T20 captain’s entry was the turning point of the game, and Kandy didn’t look from this point.
Dasun Shanaka’s Great Innings is a Great Start to the Lanka Premier League
The former captain of Sri Lanka had a terrible run in the recently concluded World T20. His troubles with the bat go back some time with the national team, and in some way cost him the team captaincy. With big innings long overdue, and as it happened the first game of the Lankan Premier League was the moment he had been waiting for. Shanaka in a blistering 15 ball 46 inclusive of 5 sixes took the game away from Dambulla. With great stroke play that fans haven’t seen in a while, he ensured victory for Kandy.
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