Dambulla will face Galle in the Wednesday encounter of Sri Lanka T20 League 2020 to take the top spot. Galle has opened its account in the points table, and they would aim to get two more points to boost its fourth spot.
Match Timings: Dec 09, 8:00 PM IST
Team Preview
The second encounter on Wednesday will be more intense as Galle will face Dambulla to boost its chances for the semifinals. Galle finally broke its losing streak and defeated Colombo on Monday. Mohammed Amir bagged a 5-wicket haul, and Colombo finished on 171. Galle avoided the errors in the chase as they came close against Dambulla last week and fell short of 9 runs. On Monday, Galle got a good start from the openers, and the top order shined with the bat. Ahsan Ali scored unbeaten 56 off 38 balls, and Gunathilaka continued his best run this season by scoring 38. Azam Khan fired with 16-balls 35 to chase down the target with 15 balls to spare. The collective composure showed some improvement in Galle’s batting. Rajapaksa would aim to carry this momentum on Wednesday as well.
Danushka Gunathilaka is Galle’s big asset who had a tremendous season with the bat. The left-hander has scored 322 runs so far, and in each innings, he touched the 30-run mark, which is magnificent. Azam Khan’s attacking approach has also worked for Galle. The Pakistani batsman has amassed 158 runs with a strike rate of 188.09. Ahsan Ali and Bhanuka Rajapaksa need to showcase consistency. The bowling is undoubtedly a big concern for Galle, but if they recover it through steady batting, it would be a delightful moment for Galle. In the first encounter on the same day, Kandy will face Jaffna, so this game is a do-die clash for Galle. Two points on Wednesday will assure Galle a place in the semis as they have a better NRR comparing to Kandy, and in the last game, they can control the NRR issue.
Meanwhile, Dambulla had an excellent season so far, losing just one game. Its previous encounter was washed out, and they settled for one point. With 9 points, Dambulla are sitting at the second, and Dasun Shanaka would try to add two points from this game to take the top spot back. Dambulla has previously faced Galle, and in a thrilling game, they held the nerve to manage a 9-run victory. Dambulla posted a huge total of 207, courtesy of the half-centuries from Tharanga and Dickwella. The skipper Dasun Shanaka continued his excellent season with the bat, scoring a quick cameo of 37. Bowling was not up to the mark, despite snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It's a must-win game for Galle, so Dambulla cannot take this game lightly.
The batting success of the openers in the previous outing opened some relief in Dambulla’s camp. Shanaka has shown great intent with the bat, scoring 236 runs at an average of 47.20. His strike rate is a big boost. The English signing, Samit Patel, is a big asset with bat and ball. He has amassed 142 runs while batting at number four and also scalped 6 crucial wickets.
Pitch Report
It’s a night game, and we have seen a good amount of help to batting sides in Hambantota. The outfield is quick, and it offers lot of runs in both innings. Chasing would be an easy task, but it requires a sensible approach.
Possible XI
Galle
Danushka Gunathilaka, Ahsan Ali, Azam Khan (wk), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (c), Chadwick Walton, Milinda Siriwardana, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Mohammad Amir, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando
Dambulla
Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Upul Tharanga, Angelo Perera, Samit Patel, Dasun Shanaka (c), Samiullah Shinwari, Anwar Ali, Ramesh Mendis, Malinda Pushpakumara, Kasun Rajitha, Sudeep Tyagi
Key Players
Galle
Danushka Gunathilaka
SL T20 League – M: 4, Runs: 322, Avg: 68.67
Previous outing: 38 (28)
Azam Khan
SL T20 League – M: 6, Runs: 158, SR: 188.09
Previous outing: 35 (16)
Dambulla
Dasun Shanaka
SL T20 League – M: 6, Runs:236, Avg: 47.20
Previous outing: 37 (21)
Samit Patel
SL T20 League – M: 5, Runs: 142, Wickets: 6
