Colombo Kaps bagged two important points with a four wicket win over bottom placed Dambulla Sixers to go level with Galle Gallants and Jaffna Kings with four wins each.

In the night match of the Wednesday double header at the Pallekele International cricket stadium, Kaps chased the 175 run target with six balls to spare as opening batter and player of the match Rubin Hermann gave his team a head-start with a brisk 48.

Hermann and Sadeera Samarawickrama (26 off 16, 5 fours) put on 40 runs in 4.3 overs before the latter was dismissed by Ramesh Mendis. Kaps’ top four batters made sure to keep the run flow ticking despite a wicket falling almost every four overs during the chase.

When Samarawickrama departed, Hermann took it upon himself to drive the chase while adding 39 off 19 balls with Kamindu Mendis. Hermann’s 48 came off 26 balls and included eight fours and one six.

Sonal Dinusha denied the Kaps’ opening batter his half-century but then Kamindu Mendis and Ben McDermott nailed the chase with a decisive 70 run stand off 44 balls. McDermott aggression yielded four fours and a six in a 22 ball 33 run outing.

With Kaps’ score at 149 in 14.5 overs, Sixers strive to get a grip on the game as Akila Dananjaya castled McDermott, while Dushmantha Chameera was denied a hat-trick in the next over as he got rid of Kamindu Mendis (39 off 28, 5 fours, 1 six) and Janith Liyanage.

An over later, Danajaya removed James Neesham for one Milan Rathnayaka and Ashen Bandara waded through the danger with a good six balls to spare as they stitched 20 runs off 15 balls. Rathnayake (15 off 10, 1 four, 1 six) in particular was instrumental in securing the game as he hit Gulbadin for 12 when the asking rate was 12 off two overs.

Earlier, Sixers were sluggish to begin with as they lost three wickets for 49 runs in 7.1 overs before top-scorer Reeza Hendricks smashed nine fours and three sixes on his way to a 54 ball 80 and added 83 runs with incoming Sikandar Raza (23 off 25, 2 fours).

Rathnayake got rid of Hendricks and after that Gulbadin blasted four fours and two sixes in a 13 ball 33 run not out knock to take his team to a respectable total. Shahnawaz Dahani picked up two for 41 in his fours overs.

Brief Scores

Colombo Kaps won by four wickets

Dambulla Sixers 174/5 in 20 overs [Reeza Hendricks 80 (54), Gulbadin Naib 33* (13), Sikandar Raza 23 (25); Shahnawaz Dahani 2/41]

Colombo Kaps 177/6 in 19 overs [ Rubin Hermann 48(26), Kamindu Mendis 39 (28), Ben McDermott 33 (22), Sadeera Samarawickrama 26 (16); Dushmantha Chameera 2/32, Akila Dananjaya 2/32]

Player of the match: Rubinn Hermann