The Jaffna Stallions will clash with the Galle Gladiators in the finals of the Lanka Premier League.
The side from Dambulla won the toss and decided to bowl, influenced by the easy paced nature of the wicket.
But they made their first big error when Kasun Rajitha dropped an easy chance at deep fine leg to reprieve Johnson Charles, who would make the most of this second chance.
By the 12th over of the game the Stallions were on 108 for 1.
One would have thought 200 is there for the taking but the Stallions lost their way and lost eight wickets for just 57 runs.
The last five overs were particularly wasteful from the Stallions’ point of view, as they managed just 35 runs, and even worse, just a solitary boundary.
Malinda Pushpakumara was the pick of the bowlers with 2 wickets for 24 runs.
Dambulla falter
The side from Dambulla never really got going.
By the 3rd over, Samit Patel and Angelo Perera were back in the pavilion.
Upul Tharanga and Dickwella steadied the boat but the latter fell at 62 and things were looking grim.
Tharanga ploughed a lonely furrow and was the 7th wicket to fall, bamboozled by the wiles of Hasaranga, at 96 by which time, it was all over.
Hasaranga’s 3 for 15 was by far the standout bowling performance of the game, as he took his tournament tally to 16 wickets – comfortably topping the charts.
His googly once more proved unreadable for most batsman, accounting for the wickets of Samiullah Shinwari – trapped lbw – Malinda Pushpakumara – caught at slip – and, crucially, the top scorer, Upul Tharanga.
He even managed to end his spell with a wicket maiden.
Special mention must be made of of Usman Shinwari who turned the game on its head, with his fielding! He made three direct hits, two of which led to crucial run-outs.
Jaffna Stallions 165 for 9 (Charles 76, Fernando 39, Pushpakumara 2-24) beat Dambulla Viiking 128 (Tharanga 33, Hasaranga 3-15) by 37 runs
