Dambulla Aura secured a convincing seven-wicket victory against the Galle Titans in the Lanka Premier League clash on Friday. Opting to bowl first, the Aura restricted the Titans to a target of 134 runs. In response, Dambulla Aura chased down the target in 18 overs, powered by an impressive knock of 70 runs off 49 deliveries by Avishka Fernando.
However, another notable moment was the run-out of Lahiru Samarakoon, reminiscent of the former Indian skipper MS Dhoni’s style. During the 19th over of the first innings, Samarakoon played a shot towards square leg and attempted a quick run. The fielder, Sadeera Samarawickrama, swiftly collected and threw the ball to the keeper Kusal Mendis, who executed a run-out similar to MS Dhoni’s signature moves, dismissing Samarakoon for 6 runs.
Wayward throw? No worries.
Mendis got you covered 😎 in a Dhoni-esque manner 🧤#LPL2023 #LPLonFanCode pic.twitter.com/RvXpRibdN9
— FanCode (@FanCode) August 12, 2023
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The lightning-quick reflexes of MS Dhoni behind the stumps were legendary during his international cricket career. Even after retirement, Dhoni continued to display his agility, as seen when he executed a rapid stumping to dismiss Shubman Gill during a match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.
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In the match, Titans’ captain Dasun Shanaka top-scored with 36 runs. However, none of the other batters managed to cross the 30-run mark. Dambulla Auras’ bowlers shared the wickets, with Dushan Hemantha taking two scalps, while Binura Fernando, Hasan Alo, Hayden Kerr, Noor Ahmed, and Dhananjaya de Silva claimed one wicket each.
Led by Avishka Fernando’s 70-run innings, Dambulla Aura comfortably chased down the target. Sadeera Samarawickrama contributed 25 runs, and Kusal Mendis added 18 to support the batting effort.
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In the bowling department, Lahiru Kumara took two wickets, while Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan secured one wicket. In their upcoming matches, Dambulla Auras will face B-Love Kandy on August 14, and the Galle Titans will compete against the Colombo Strikers on August 15
