Wayamba Elevens tamed Victoria Bushrangers for a consolation victory in the Champions League Twenty20 at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Tuesday. Faced with a target of 119, the Australian side suffered some early jolts and lost by 15 runs. But the victory failed to help Wayamba which bowed out on account of net run rate.
Delhi Daredevils (+0.700) had the best net run rate in Group ‘D’ followed by Bushrangers (+0.136) and Wayamba (-0.875).
Costly over
Wayamba had to restrict Bushrangers to 83 in order to qualify on better net run rate. But an 18-run over (18th of the innings) by Kaushal Lokuarachchi to Andrew McDonald swung the match away from it. The end result became inconsequential once Bushrangers crossed the 83-run mark.
Mahela Jayawardene had defended his team after the loss to Daredevils. He reasoned the team was overwhelmed by the prospects of playing in front of a huge crowd. A near-empty Kotla on Tuesday gave credence to his belief.
A splendid start by Jeevantha Kulatunga and Michael Vandort raised visions of a Wayamba revival. Opener Mahela Udawatte had fallen cheaply but Kulatunga and Vandort gave the innings the desired direction with a partnership of 81 runs. They batted with purpose and the Wayamba camp looked firmly in control until the dismissal of Vandort.
Beginning of the slide
A moment of complacency triggered the Wayamba slide as Vandort lost his leg stump in trying an expansive shot. His 42 off 44 balls had three boundaries and a six but it was the support that he gave Kulatunga which kept alive Wayamba’s hopes of raising a big total.
Kulatunga, who hit 41 off 39 balls with three fours and two sixes, followed Vandort in quick succession and the Wayamba innings collapsed in a heap. From a healthy 85 for two, the Sri Lankan outfit slipped to 108 for eight, thanks to Man-of-the-Match Shane Harwood claiming three wickets.
It was a hurried procession as batsmen opted to throw the bat around. True, the team had wickets in hand but the shot selection defied logic.
The scores:
Wayamba Elevens: J. Kulatunga c McDonald b McKay 41, M. Udawatte lbw b Siddle 1, M. Vandort b McKay 42, M. Jayawardene c Blizzard b McDonald 3, J. Mubarak b Harwood 10, K. Lokuarachchi b Harwood 0, T. Perera c Quiney b McDonald 6, F. Mahroof b Harwood 1, R. Herath (run out) 3, C. Welegedara (not out) 7, A. Mendis (not out) 1; Extras (lb-3): 3. Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 118.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-85, 3-88, 4-99, 5-99, 6-99, 7-105, 8-108, 9-110.
Victoria Bushrangers bowling: Harwood 4-0-14-3, Siddle 4-0-12-1, McKay 4-0-24-2, McDonald 4-0-28-2, Holland 1-0-14-0, Hodge 2-0-15-0, Hussey 1-0-8-0.
Victoria Bushrangers: R. Quiney c and b Welegedara 0, B. Hodge (not out) 44, A. Blizzard c Mendis b Welegedara 6, D. Hussey b Maharoof 7, C. White c Perera b Mendis 11, A. McDonald (not out) 27; Extras (b-2, lb-5, w-1): 8. Total (for four wkts. in 20 overs): 103.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-45, 4-68.
Wayamba Elevens bowling: Welegedara 4-0-18-2, Perera 3-0-10-0, Mendis 4-0-21-0, Maharoof 4-0-19-1, Herath 4-0-10-0, Lokuarachchi 1-0-18-0.
