Both teams needed to win big for the sake of a place in the main round of the Champions league. In the end it was Sri Lankan domestic champions Ruhuna who held their nerves and strangled Leics’ lower order. After scoring 160, being put in, they needed to restrict Leics fewer than 140 to go beyond Somerset and KKR on the net run rate. But they had to battle out a close win and hence have entered in a net run rate battle with the loser of the next game between KKR and Somerset.
Matthew Hoggard was unfit, hence Andrew McDonald captained Leicestershire. Jigar Naik replaced Hoggard. Harry Gurney removed Sanath Jayasuriya and Udawatte cheaply with two slower balls to peg back Ruhuna from the outset.
Dinesh Chandimal and Kushal Perera lifted their team with controlled aggression, but latter perished for 19, miss-hitting a pull off Abdul Razzaq.
Chandimal first hit a six of Hendersen and then two back-to-back fours of Abdul, who responded by removing Gunaratne in the same over. At the end of 15 overs, Ruhuna were a modest 104 for 4, needing a strong finish. And strong finish they got from Karunanayake, who blasted a quick-fire 28 off just 15 balls with two fours and as many sixes. That knock eventually made the difference.
Ruhuna looted 56 from 5 overs at the death, reaching a stiff total of 160/6, keeping in mind slowness of the track. Chandimal remained not out on 62 (51b 6x4 2x6). For Leics Gurney and Abdul took 3 and 2 wickets respectively.
Abdul Razzaq was, rightly, promoted to open with Joshua Cobb. They raced to 31 in 2.2 overs before Cobb was holed out in the deep off Arosh Janoda for 15 off 6 balls that included two sixes. McDonald provided good company to Abdul Razzaq who was now well set, as Ruhuna looked concerned.
At 71 for 1 after 7 overs, Leics were in a position to even go for an early finish which would have given them the required positive net run rate. However, to topple both Somerset and Kolkata they needed to reach the target in 13.2 overs, which was beyond them at this stage. Similarly Ruhuna’s dream of restricting Leics under 140 seemed quite unlikely from there on, as they were battling for a win instead.
Asanka Silva had McDonald caught behind to put pressure on Abdul who was, as proved later, caught between thought of an early NRR-boosting finish and a normal win. Nearing his fifty and on either side of the team hundred, Abdul punished Jayasuriya, hitting him for a four and a huge straight six. With 53 required from the last 8 overs and with seven wickets remaining, it seemed just a formality from there on. But Ruhuna fought back valiantly through their spinners, strangling the scoring rate and getting wicket in the process.
Abdul Razzaq had increased the tempo, getting a life or two, but eventually was out in trying to manufacture a shot, with a view to race towards the target. His innings of 68 (46b 6x4 2x6) was brilliant, but in the context of the game proved insufficient as no other batsman looked capable to put bat on the ball.
Leics meandered along aimlessly to get just 24 in the last 5 overs to end 5 short of the target, a poor display by their lower middle order. Gunaratne and Silva both got 3 wickets each, but Dinesh Chandimal was named the Man of the Match for his stabilizing knock of 62 not out.
The result meant Ruhuna were still in line for an outside chance of qualifying if the next result goes their way.
Ruhuna 160/6 (Chandimal 62*, Gurney 3/33) beat Leicestershire (156/8 (Abdul Razzaq 68, Gunaratne 3/27) by 5 runs
Man of the Match: Dinesh Chandimal
Match Report – Champions League T20 Qualifiers Pool B: Leicestershire v Ruhuna at Hyderabad (Deccan), Sep 21, 2011
Dinesh Chandimal and Kushal Perera lifted their team with controlled aggression, but latter perished for 19, miss-hitting a pull off Abdul Razzaq.
Chandimal first hit a six of Hendersen and then two back-to-back fours of Abdul, who responded by removing Gunaratne in the same over. At the end of 15 overs, Ruhuna were a modest 104 for 4, needing a strong finish. And strong finish they got from Karunanayake, who blasted a quick-fire 28 off just 15 balls with two fours and as many sixes. That knock eventually made the difference.
Ruhuna looted 56 from 5 overs at the death, reaching a stiff total of 160/6, keeping in mind slowness of the track. Chandimal remained not out on 62 (51b 6x4 2x6). For Leics Gurney and Abdul took 3 and 2 wickets respectively.
Abdul Razzaq was, rightly, promoted to open with Joshua Cobb. They raced to 31 in 2.2 overs before Cobb was holed out in the deep off Arosh Janoda for 15 off 6 balls that included two sixes. McDonald provided good company to Abdul Razzaq who was now well set, as Ruhuna looked concerned.
At 71 for 1 after 7 overs, Leics were in a position to even go for an early finish which would have given them the required positive net run rate. However, to topple both Somerset and Kolkata they needed to reach the target in 13.2 overs, which was beyond them at this stage. Similarly Ruhuna’s dream of restricting Leics under 140 seemed quite unlikely from there on, as they were battling for a win instead.
Asanka Silva had McDonald caught behind to put pressure on Abdul who was, as proved later, caught between thought of an early NRR-boosting finish and a normal win. Nearing his fifty and on either side of the team hundred, Abdul punished Jayasuriya, hitting him for a four and a huge straight six. With 53 required from the last 8 overs and with seven wickets remaining, it seemed just a formality from there on. But Ruhuna fought back valiantly through their spinners, strangling the scoring rate and getting wicket in the process.
Abdul Razzaq had increased the tempo, getting a life or two, but eventually was out in trying to manufacture a shot, with a view to race towards the target. His innings of 68 (46b 6x4 2x6) was brilliant, but in the context of the game proved insufficient as no other batsman looked capable to put bat on the ball.
Leics meandered along aimlessly to get just 24 in the last 5 overs to end 5 short of the target, a poor display by their lower middle order. Gunaratne and Silva both got 3 wickets each, but Dinesh Chandimal was named the Man of the Match for his stabilizing knock of 62 not out.
The result meant Ruhuna were still in line for an outside chance of qualifying if the next result goes their way.
Ruhuna 160/6 (Chandimal 62*, Gurney 3/33) beat Leicestershire (156/8 (Abdul Razzaq 68, Gunaratne 3/27) by 5 runs
Man of the Match: Dinesh Chandimal
Published in SportPulse.net on 21 Sep 2011
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