Kandy Falcons convincingly beat Dambulla Aura by 39 runs in the 18th encounter of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) season three played at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (RPICS) on Sunday (18). 

Falcons Skipper Wanindu Hasaranga won the toss and decided to bat first. They made a few changes to their lineup allowing Kavin Bandara to open the batting alongside Minod Bhanuka. Bandara grabbed the opportunity with both hands, stoking a quick-fire 27 at the top. 

The rest of the batters chipped in with cameos, while in-form Ashen Bandara top-scored with 37 runs. Chamika Karunaratne and Hasaranga added the late impetus with the bat to propel the Falcons to a challenging 160. 

Matthew Forde was the pick of the bowlers for Aura taking two for 16. Left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera chipped in with a two-wicket haul while left-arm pacer Kalana Perera, playing his first game, picked up two wickets for 27.

The run chase was once again a disappointing one from the Dambulla camp. The opening pair of Jordan Cox and Shevon Daniel failed to replicate their heroics from the previous game, as both fell without much of a contribution. Sikander Raza came in at No. 3 and tried his best to get close to the target, but none of the batters succeeded in supporting his efforts. 

Bhanuka Rajapaksa was dismissed for a golden duck while Dasun Shanaka struggled to make an impact down the order. At the end of 20 overs, Aura struggled their way to 121 for the loss of nine wickets. West Indian seamer Oshane Thomas struck with the new ball and at the death, picked up yet another three-wicket haul for just 15 runs which also earned him the player of the match award. His national teammate Fabian Allen chipped in with two wickets.

Brief scores

Kandy Falcons 169 for 7 (20)

(Ashen Bandara 37, Kavin Bandara 27, Najibullah Zadran 22; Mathew Forde 2/16, Dilum Sudeera 2/19, Kalana Perera 2/27)

Aura Dambulla 121 for 9 (20)

(Sikander Raza 45, Dilum Sudeera 21*; Oshane Thomas 3/15, Chamidu Wijesinghe 2/17, Fabien Allen 2/23)