Nagenahira Nagas secure second successive win
Thisara Perera's lusty knock of 72 was in vain as it could not prevent Nagenahira Nagas from securing their second successive win of the Sri Lanka Premier League tournament as opener Imran Nazir matched it with a 32 ball knock of 52 to steer his side to a comfortable seven wicket win over Kandurata Warriors in the fifth match played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday. Nazir along with Ahmed Shehzad put on a partnership of 85 runs in just 52 balls and laid the foundation for Nagenahira Nagas, who in their pursuit of 160 runs reached the target with three balls to spare.
After the dismissal of Nazir, skipper Angelo Mathews guided the side by putting on two valuable partnerships, first for the second wicket for 25 runs with Shehzad and the other of 28 runs for the third wicket with Angelo Perera. Mathews remained unbeaten on 42 which came off 36 balls which included four boundaries and a six.
Earlier Kandurata Warriors skipper Thilan Samaraweera opened the innings with Kaushal Silva after winning the toss. The Warriors underwent an early setback when they lost an early wicket in the second over when Samaraweera was caught at the covers by Thisara Perera off Kanishka Alvitigala for just one run, with the total on seven. Silva joined by Kithruwan Withanage steadied the innings and seemed to be settling down but after the pair added 25 runs Silva, facing Sachith Pathirana, went down the track for a ball that was going wayward, missed and keeper Mushfiqur Rahim succeeded in whipping off the bails.
Later after Withanage and Misbah-ul-Haq had added a further 32 runs for the third wicket Kandurata Warriors took two quick wickets for the addition of three runs as they slid from 58 for 2 to 61 for 4 with the first ten overs only yielding 58 runs. Thisara Perera singlehandedly steered the side with his power packed hitting as he put on a 31 runs stand for the fifth wicket with Haq and then found a reliable partner in Dilhara Lokuhettige. Perera along with Lokuhettige was associated in a valuable 57-run partnership for the sixth wicket which helped reach a respectable score of 159 runs. Perera's big hitting saw him making a quick fire 72 in only 33 balls that comprised six boundaries and four sixes.
Today too only one match is being scheduled to be played at 8.00 p.m. which is between Ruhunu Royals and Uthura Rudras which is the sixth match of the Sri Lanka Premier League tournament.