COLOMBO: Galle Titans claimed a dramatic Super Over win in the second match of the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) against Dambulla Aura on Monday to earn their first victory in the tournament.
The match went to a tie-break decider after both teams chalked up 180 runs in a high-scoring thriller at R Premadasa Stadium here.
Dambulla Aura could make 9/1 off a tight Super Over bowled by pacer Kasun Rajitha before Bhanuka Rajapaksa smashed a four off the first ball of Titans’ response, then sealed victory with a six.
Put into bat first in their LPL campaign opener, the Titans notched up 180/5 in the allotted 20 overs with Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Dasun Shanaka leading the charge.
Rajapaksa scored an anchoring 34-ball 48 which featured five boundaries and two sixes.
Coming out to bat at number six with the Titans at 123/4 in 15 overs, Shanaka played a quickfire knock to bolster his side’s total.
Shanaka scored a swashbuckling 21-ball 42, laced up with two boundaries and four sixes.
Besides the duo of Shanaka and Rajapaksa, opener Shevon Daniel made a notable contribution with a 26-ball 33 up the order.
Shahnawaz Dahani, making his LPL debut, led the bowling attack for the Auras with 2/37, followed by one wicket each for Binura Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva.
The Aura, in response, also accumulated 180 runs, but for the loss of seven wickets.
The Aura got off to a shaky start, losing two wickets for just two runs in the second over.
Dhananjaya de Silva was then joined by Kusal Perera and the pair stitched a 76-run partnership for the third wicket.
Perera returned back to the hut in the 10th over after scoring 40 off 35 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes.
The dangerous-looking de Silva got out in the 12th over after scoring 43 off 31 balls, hitting five fours and a six.
The Aura then lost two more wickets in quick succession which halted the flow of runs before Alex Ross glimmered a ray of hope with a scintillating cameo.
The right-handed batter scored a brisk 39 not out off 28 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes but fell just one run short of steering his side to glory.
The thrilling Super Over victory lifted Galle Titans to second in the LPL standings while Dambulla Aura remained at fourth.
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