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Reds thump Greys in League opener 

09 Aug 2022

By Ranjika Perera  Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Reds defeated SLC Greys by six wickets with 19 balls to spare, in the SLC Invitational T20 League opening game played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium yesterday (8).  Asitha Fernando’s heroics with the ball helped the Reds clean up the Greys’ top order after putting them to bat first. Movin Subasingha and Muditha Lakshan did some repair work to help the Greys post 120 in their 20 overs.  In response, Lasith Croospulle and Reds skipper Kusal Mendis added 88 runs for the first wicket. Despite losing a cluster of wickets, the Reds got home in the 17th over with six wickets in hand.  Asitha Fernando impresses with the ball  Fernando continued his purple patch with an impressive spell in the powerplay for the Reds. He dismissed Thanuka Dabare, Sangeeth Cooray, and Ashan Priyanjan for single-digit scores as the Reds took control of the game early on. Fernando used his pace, hitting the deck hard which rattled the batters. He is surely in context to secure a place in the Asia Cup squad, if he continues the good run of form in the short tournament.  Subasingha, the only positive for the Greys  Movin Subasingha gave a glimpse of what he can offer as a power hitter. He walked in when Greys were five for 47. After seeing out the first few deliveries, he slogged and swept Wanindu Hasaranga for a massive six. In the following over, he came dancing down the track, and timed an inside-out drive all the way against Dunith Wellalage. He was also mindful about rotating the strike, but his weakness against short balls was exploited against Fernando and Kalana Perera.  Rajapaksa’s form slump further  It’s still early days, but Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s spot in the National T20 setup is hanging on a knife edge. His recent performances in the international arena have been disappointing to say the least. Apart from a century he scored in one of the Club T20 games a few months back, Rajapaksa has failed to impress with the bat. Although a player of his calibre and style is hard to find in the island, the National Selectors will be keeping a close eye on his performances in the tournament.  Brief Scores SLC Greys 120 for 9 (20)  (Movin Subasingha 32, Muditha Lakshan 24, Asitha Fernando 4/22, Matheesha Pathirana 2/16, Maheesh Theekshana 2/16) SLC Reds 121 for 4 (16.5) (Lasith Croospulle 54, Kusal Mendis 34, Akila Dhananjaya 2/36)   


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