Terrific batting of real T20 style highlighted the opening day of the 2018 SLC T20 League which began on Tuesday, August 21, at the R. Premadasa International Stadium in Colombo. The scintillating batting display by veteran Upul Tharanga and Ashan Priyanjan, for Colombo and Dambulla respectively, stole the show on the opening day while all eyes were on how former great Lasith Malinga was trying to make a comeback into the national side impressing the national selectors with his bowling and fielding. Malinga represents Team Kandy. Tharanga hoisted as many as 11 sixes and hit five fours in his 67-ball knock of 124 which gave the tournament a fiery start Tuesday afternoon. He reached his ton in 48 balls. Priyanjan was equally scathing in his attacking batting display in the following game. Coming into bat at No.4 for Dambulla against Kandy, he raced to his century too on 48 balls. He struck nine fours and six sixes in his 52-ball 108. The four-team tournament will see three rounds taking place in Colombo, Dambulla and Kandy before the September 2 final, to be played between the two table-topping sides of the league-phase under lights at R. Premadasa. Public are allowed to enter free of charge for all games. Team Galle are the firm favourites of the tournament having a strong bating line-up consisting Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Perera, Asela Gunaratne and Dhananjaya De Silva in its ranks. They emerged victorious in the previous SLC domestic four-dayer as well as its 50-over one-day tournament. There will be double-headers on each day of this T20 League, one game starting at 2 p.m. and the other fixed for a 7 p.m. start under lights. The Dambulla leg of the tournament will be held on August 25 and 26 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium and the third and final leg will be at Pallekele International Stadium on August 29 and 30. The four skippers of the teams are Dinesh Chandimal (Team Colombo), Thisara Perera (Dambulla), Suranga Lakmal (Galle) and Angelo Mathews (Kandy). TUESDAY’S SCORES IN BRIEF Game 1 – Colombo bt Galle by 90 runs: Colombo (won the toss) 197/5 in 20 overs (Upul Tharanga 124 in 67 balls, Jeevan Mendis 30 in 13 balls; Kasun Rajitha 2/38, Nishan Peiris 2/40) Galle 107 all out in 19.2 overs (Angelo Perera 54 in 35 balls, Asela Gunaratne 18 in 25 balls; Akila Dananjaya 3/13, Lahiru Madushanka 2/12) Game 2 – Dambulla beat Kandy by 18 runs: Dambulla (won the toss) 202/5 in 20 overs (Ashan Priyanjan 108 in 52 balls, Danushka Gunathilaka 39 in 43 balls; Malinda Pushpakumara 2/33) Kandy 184/8 in 20 overs (Thikshila De Silva 63 in 38 balls, Lahiru Thirimanne 43 in 32 balls; Shehan Madushanka 2/9, Isuru Udana 2-28). * The picture above shows Upul Tharanga celebrating his century on Tuesday, August 21.