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On Monday, July 1, 2024, B-Love Kandy and Dambulla Sixers squared off in the inaugural match of the Lanka Premier League 2024 match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. B-Love Kandy defeated Dambulla Sixers by six wickets and top the Lanka Premier League 2024 Points Table with two points and a net run rate of +1.608.
Dasun Shanaka was named as the Player of the Match for his all-round display. He smashed an unbeaten 46-run inning off 15 balls, featuring three fours and five sixes.
Kandy will be eyeing to continue their winning momentum in the next game against the Colombo Strikers on Tuesday, July 2.
Meanwhile, Dambulla Sixers are at the bottom of the table with a negative NRR. Mark Chapman was their top performer in the batting department, scoring a magnificent 91 off 61 with 12 boundaries.
Sixers will try to turn things around in the upcoming match against the Jaffna Kings on Wednesday. The Sixers will be looking to regroup and strategize to secure their first win of the season and climb up the points table.
Here’s how the Lanka Premier League 2024 Points Table read after Match 1:
Dasun Shanaka's all-round brilliance leads Kandy to first victory in season opener
The Kandy Falcons won the toss and chose to field first against the Dambulla Sixers.
The Sixers lost four wickets within the powerplay, largely due to Dasun Shanaka's impressive three-wicket haul. Despite this setback, Mark Chapman’s unbeaten 91 and Chamindu Wickramasinghe’s quickfire 62 off 42 balls, featuring seven boundaries, helped the Sixers post a challenging target of 180 runs. Mohammad Hasnain also contributed with a wicket for the Falcons.
In reply, opening batter Dinesh Chandimal gave Kandy a perfect start, scoring a 40-ball 65-run knock, comprising nine boundaries.
Although they lost two wickets in the first four overs, contributions from Kamindu Mendis (27) and Angelo Mathews (37 off 20 balls) kept them on track. A match-winning 46 off 15 balls from Dasun Shanaka ensured they reached the target comfortably in 17.2 overs with six wickets in hand.
Nuwan Thushara, Mustafizur Rahman, Akila Dananjaya, and Chamindu Wickramasinghe of Dambulla Sixers claimed one wicket apiece.
