Malays stun Ragama to enter final
Malay’s Buddhika Hasaranga sends one over the rope - Pic by Eshan Fernando
In a thrilling finish at the SSC ground, Malay CC secured their place in the Premier Tier ‘B’ T20 tournament final with a dramatic 3-wicket victory over fancied Ragama CC in the evening’s second semi-final. Chasing a formidable target of 171, Malay CC found themselves in deep trouble at 97-6 in the 13th over. However, a magnificent seventh-wicket stand of 65 runs between Pulasthi Athapaththu and Thimira Malshan turned the match on its head, guiding their team to victory with just three deliveries remaining.
Ragama CC had earlier posted 170 after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Their total was built around excellent innings from Sameen Kandanaarachchi and Koshan Jayawickrama, but ultimately fell short of defending their score.
Brief Scores
- At SSC (E): Malay CC beat Ragama CC by 3 wickets
Ragama CC 170 for 7 (20) (Koshan Jayawickrama 43n.o., Sameen Kandanaarachchi 42, Vikum Sanjaya 25, Umesh Kasun 17, Ranmith Jayasena 16; Kavinda Ishwara 2/14, Sudara Dhakshina 2/23)
Malay CC 171 for 7 (19.3) (Pulasthi Athapaththu 38, Thimira Malshan 42n.o., Buddhika Hasaranga 23, Woshitha Amarasinghe 15; Upul Indrasiri 3/26, Binura Fernando 2/34)