KAPILA Wickramathanthrigie starred with a dazzling all-round performance as Sri Lankans Cricket Club beat Mustangs Cricket Club to win the Cyprus Cricket Twenty20 Cup by 71 runs on Sunday morning at the Potamia Grounds in Nicosia.
The Mustangs initially dominated play, reducing the Sri Lankans to 34 for 3, before Wickramathanthrigie’s fighting innings of 58 lifted his side to a match-winning total. He then returned for a masterful spell to jolt the Mustangs’ chase with two wickets.
Wickramathanthrigie walked in with the Sri Lankans wobbling and proceeded to gradually pull them out of a hole before shifting gears to boost them to a winning score.
He received some support from Nalaga Agathocleous (15) and skipper Asanka Dharamapla (16) as the Sri Lankans finished on 158 for 6 wickets.
The Mustangs started well in their chase and reached the halfway point with 53 runs on the board and 7 wickets in hand, but their Achilles heel was their lower order.
With hard-hitting Hardeep Johal and in-form skipper Gabby Brar at the crease, a close finish was expected.
However, after Johal (25) fell to Ushan Silva, Wickramathanthrigie suffocated the Mustangs with his left arm chinaman and Udumulle Sirithunga kept the pressure on with a disciplined spell of 3 wickets for 8 runs, as the Sri Lankans bowled out the Mustangs for 87 runs.
Delighted Sri Lankans captain Asanka Dharamapla applauded his team-mates’ efforts. “The players put in a lot of work throughout the tournament and the win was made possible because of this,” he said. “We have quite a few experienced players in our side and that makes my life as captain a lot easier.”
Mustangs captain Gaby Brar was appreciative of the Cyprus Cricket Association for organising a successful tournament. “This was our debut season and our team thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We are grateful to the Cyprus Cricket Association for giving us the chance to compete,” he said.
Wickramathanthrigie was named Player of the Tournament for his impressive performances throughout the event as he helped the Sri Lankans stay unbeaten throughout the competition.
