Wayamba win two in two

Wayamba United 147 for 9 (K Akmal 36, Oram 3-6) beat Uva Next 127 (Kumara 3-33) by 20 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Wayamba United roared back after a poor start to record their second win in as many matches in the SLPL, beating Uva Next by 20 runs in Pallekele. Kamran Akmal's 32-ball 36 helped Wayamba United recover after they had slipped to 44 for 4 from 5.3 overs, before late hitting from Milinda Siriwardene and Kaushal Weeraratne lifted them to 147 for 9 from their 20 overs. The Wayamba United bowlers also overcame a poor start, to strangle the Uva Next innings after the opposition openers had made a rapid start.

Wayamba United stacked all four of their overseas players in the top five, and the move almost backfired when Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal were all dismissed cheaply, with Mahela Jayawardene also contributing only 9. Kamran Akmal rebuilt alongside a unhurried Dinesh Chandimal however, taking runs to the outfield rather than attempting a counterattack - though the big shot did come occasionally, usually to the square boundary on the off side.

At their demise at 82 for 5 and 90 for 6 Wayamba United were still threatening a small total, but entertaining 20s from Siriwardene and Weeraratne ensured the bowlers would have something to defend, as the exploited poor lengths from the opposition bowlers to put on 41 from 24 balls.

In the chase, Dilshan Munaweera clobbered three fours and a six in his 26, and he alongside Shivnarine Chanderpaul took Uva Next to 30 from 2 overs, but none of the other batsmen were able to eclipse his score as they continued to lose wickets in close proximity.

Akila Dananjaya was again impressive for Wayamba United, conceding only 20 from his four overs and taking two wickets in the process. Batsmen were not always fooled by his variations, but his turn and flight remained a threat throughout his spell and ensured few risks were taken against him. Isuru Udana also bagged two cheap scalps, while Chathuranga Kumara took three wickets for 33 from his four.