A powerplay burst from the best new-ball attack in the IPL broke Chennai Super Kings [CSK]. Kagiso Rabada picked up 3 for 25 to spearhead an eight-wicket win for Gujarat Titans and push them up to fifth place on the points table. CSK had held that position and now drop to sixth.

There seemed to be a misconception about the pitch. At the toss, Rutraj Gaikwad spoke about it being dry and not minding defending a total, the implication being spin might come into play later. What happened was the exact opposite. GT bowled Rabada and Mohammed Siraj right through the powerplay and CSK were unable to cope with the pace and bounce on offer. CSK even brought in Sarfaraz Khan as the Impact Player at the four-over mark but it didn’t work out as he fell for a golden duck.

Sri Lanka’s Tuskers showed bite but not quite enough teeth as New Zealand’s Under-85kg side edged a bruising 27-16 win in the opening leg of their two-match series at Racecourse on Saturday.

Under lights for the second straight year, the visitors rode pressure, precision and a late sucker punch to take first blood in a contest that swung on momentum and discipline.

New Zealand struck early at the breakdown, forcing a turnover penalty with Sri Lanka pinged for holding on. Taine Cordell-Hull made no mistake from the tee to open the scoring.

The hosts hit back with purpose. A knock-on gifted them a scrum platform and the pack went to work, grinding through tight phases. Scrum-half Harsha Maduranga pulled the strings before releasing Mursheed Zubair, whose inside ball sent centre Akash Madushanka on a hard, direct line to crash over for the opening try.

But just as Sri Lanka found their rhythm, New Zealand pounced. Maduranga’s clearance was charged down by Josh Gellart and the ricochet sat up kindly for Simon Sia to dot down, restoring the visitors’ lead.

The Tuskers’ forwards continued to carry with intent, their rolling maul chewing up metres before the ball was shifted wide for winger Janindu Dilshan to finish in the corner. Any momentum, however, was short-lived, Dilshan was sin-binned moments later for foul play, leaving the hosts a man down.

New Zealand wasted little time exploiting the overlap. Kicking deep and setting up camp, they drove a clinical maul, with number eight Pasia Asiata peeling off the back to power over and swing the contest again.

It remained a tight arm-wrestle. Cordell-Hull added another penalty on the stroke of halftime after Sri Lanka strayed inside their own 22, while a potential home try was chalked off for offside. Thenuka Nanayakkara slotted a penalty from advantage to keep Sri Lanka within touching distance, the visitors taking a slender 16-13 lead into the break.

New Zealand resumed with the same clinical edge, winning an early breakdown penalty that Cordell-Hull converted to stretch the margin. Sri Lanka refused to fold, upping the tempo and earning a lifeline when Asiata was shown yellow for a high tackle on Madushanka. Nanayakkara kept the scoreboard ticking, trimming the deficit once more.

But the visitors held their nerve. After soaking up sustained pressure, they forced penalties of their own and Jarred Percival stepped up to bisect the uprights, giving New Zealand breathing space heading into the final quarter.

The killer blow came late. With Sri Lanka chasing the game, a loose clearance towards touch was snapped up quickly by Ben Kelt, catching the defence napping. The move opened up broken field, Pieter Swarts slicing through before sending Matt Treeby over in the corner to seal it in the 77th minute.

New Zealand finished with three tries and four penalties to Sri Lanka’s two tries and two penalties, a late flourish settling a contest that had been on a knife edge for long periods.

The Tuskers will take heart from a far sharper display, but it is New Zealand who carry the upper hand into the second leg in Kandy next week.

by Carlos Van de Berg

15TH STAFFORD MOTORS – MCA G DIVISION T20 LEAGUE CRICKET TOURNAMENT

IPD Colombo, Brandix Apparel, VS Information Systems, Pyramid Wilmar, Future Life Holdings, and LOLC Insurance won their league stage games in the Stafford Motors sponsored MCA G division which resumed on Saturday [25]

IPD Colombo beat Union Bank by five wickets in the morning game played at the Nalanda College grounds while in the afternoon game, Brandix Apparel powered by a half ton from Dayan Indunil registered their third win to lead group G undefeated.

At the Royal College grounds, VS Information System’s Adeesha Bandaranayake captured five wickets for thirteen runs to restrict Swisstek Ceylon to 101/7 which his team chased down in 10 overs with nine wickets in hand. VS Information Systems lead group F winning five wins in six outings. In the afternoon game played at the same venue Sahas Vihanga [50] and Upeksha Lakshan [43] powered Pyramid Wilmar to a seven wicket win over AIA.

At the Thurstan College grounds, In a game reduced to 18 overs per side, Future Life Holdings defeated Ceyline Holdings by 3 wickets in the morning, while in the afternoon game LOLC Insurance beat Sri Lanka Telecom by six runs

At Nalanda College grounds:

IPD Colombo beat Union Bank by 5 wickets

Union Bank

163/6 in 20 overs [Gavin Fernando 31, Ayeshan Perera 18, George Banushanth 35, Nishan Maduranga 57, Rushin Dulanjaya 10*; Kavinda Sudeshka 1-22, Masood Mursheed 2-36, FredickWendt 1-18, Kasun Wijerathna 2-32]

IPD Colombo

167/5 in 19 overs [Sachithra Shanika 24, Masood Mursheed 40, Aravinda Bandara 35, Sajiv Dharmasena 33, Rajitha Dihan 10; George Banushanth 1-20, Gavin Fernando 2-20, Sasika Chathuranga 1-27, Ayeshan Perera 1-13]

Brandix Apparel won by 7 wickets

Sitecore

112/8 in 20 overs [Pramodh Maduwantha 29, Thanuja Senevirathne 28, Dineth Sathkumara 25*; Janaka Prasanna 1-25, Dayan Indunil 1-26, Sasitha Ashan 2-18]

Brandix Apprarel

115/3 in 7.2 overs [Dayan Indunil 51, Sampath Jayalath 22, Sasitha Ashan 16; Pramodith Maduwantha 1-36, Dineth Sathkumara 1-32, Risitha Dilshan 1-09]

At Royal College grounds:

Adeesha bowls VS Information System to 9 wicket win

Swisstek Ceylon

101/7 in 20 overs [Daminda Perera 21, Nadeera Liyanage 27, Gamini Wanasinghe 13*, Lahiru Piyumal 21*; Adeesha Bandaranayake 5-13, Nimnada Kirindage 1-32, Ayesh Lakmal 1-12]

VS Information Systems

102/1 in 10 overs [Shamilka Wickremathilake 31, Kisal Ranathunga 42*, Shan Aniketh 19*; Lahiru Piyumal 1-23]

Pyramid Wilmar win by 7 wickets

AIA

120/6 in 20 overs [Nuwan de Silva 55, Madhura de Silva 16, Malindu Kalishka 24; Bdhdhuka Herath 1-20, Upeksha Lakshan 1-23, Udesh Nishan 4-12]

Pyramid Wilmar

121/3 in 16 overs [Sahas Vihanga 50, Upeksha Lakshan 43, Malintha Pieris 13; Anuja de Silva 1-23, Malindu Kanishka 1-22, Nimesh Rodrigo 1-19]

At Thurstan College grounds:

Future Life Holdings win by 3 wickets

Ceyline Holdings

126/8 in 18 overs [Tharindu Munasinghe 43, Sasindu Prarthana 40, Anushka Fernando 11, Dilushan Peter 21; Prabath Wujesinghe 1-08, Sahan Ranasinghe 1-42, Tharuka Sooriyarachchi 2-15, Neluka Dilshan 2-22]

Future Life Holdings

128/7 in 17.3 overs [Kavindu Ranahansa 23, Neluka Dilshan 19, Savindu Rodrigo 24, SahannRanasinghe 23* Purna Ranasinghe 11; Anushka Fernando 2-25, VKS Kithmina 1-22, Chameera Manamperi 1-30, Devindra Fernando 1-16, Tharindu Munasinghe 1-14]

LOLC Insurance win by six runs

LOLC Insurance

119/9 in 20 overs [Malith de Alwis 57, Panduka Madumal 14, Chamara Thennakon 19; Hashan Baramane 2-16, Viduranga Fernando 4-18, SandunWijayarathne 1-29, Sandakelum Fernando 2-17]

Sri Lanka Telecom

113/8 in 20 overs [Namal Dissanayake 14, KasunnSachitra 11, Thaveesha Gunawardena 46, Malinda Perera 15, Viduranga Fernando 11; Chamara Thennakon 1-16, Deneth Nissanka 3-19, M Z Osman 3-25, Tharindu Mohan 1-17]