Sri Lankans overcome Epi Lions, to meet Black Caps in quarter-finals

By Richard Boxall

The match of the weekend – and the one with the most riding on it – was the meeting between Epi Lions and Sri Lankans at Happy Valley in the 2023 CCA BAOFinancial T20 Cup.

Both teams went into the game knowing that victory would put them in the quarter finals, and the outcome was in doubt until the last few balls.

Sri Lankans batted first and made 169-7, a challenging score on this ground. WCP Wellage got them off to a good start with 42, while Nalin Gamage provided the anchor role, batting through from first over to the last before being dismissed for 39. James Crowther took 3-29 for the Lions.

Javin Isidore got the Episkopi team off to a flyer with 54 from 22 balls, and the crucial moment of the match was undoubtedly when he was caught in the deep by Lahiru Udayanga off Nalin’s off-spin. Crowther (35 not out) and OJ Shakes (32) kept the Lions in the hunt and they were well placed at 122-3 after 12 overs.

But after Shakes was dismissed by Buddika Ranasinghe, the task was too much for the remaining batters, and the innings ended tamely at 153-6.

Sri Lanka Lions and Markhor swapped places at the top of group D after the previously unbeaten Markhor were overturned by Punjabi Kings, while the Lions thrashed Limassol Zalmi.

Abu Baqar Saddique’s 51 helped Markhor to 172-8, with Raghuveer Singh taking 3-59 for Punjabi Kings, who knocked off the runs with just two balls to spare, thanks to Rajinder Kumar’s unbeaten 76, with 4 sixes and 9 fours, and 49 from Ravi Gill. The win was the Kings’ first of the season.

Sri Lanka Lions’ match with Limassol Zalmi was all over in the bat of an eyelid. Zalmi were bundled out for 54 with Kavindu Maduranga taking 3-9 and Chamal Sadun 3-12. Then Akila De Silva’s 28 led the way to an 8-wicket win in the 9th over of the Lions’ innings.

In the 40-over league Royal and Sri Lanka Lions have the top two positions – and a place in the final – wrapped up after the Lions’ 4-wicket win over Black Caps. An 8th wicket partnership of 91 between Vimal Kanduri (33) and Lovedeep Singh Buller (62 batting at number 9) helped the Caps reach a total of 170.

But the Lions passed this score comfortably as Mangala Gunasekara followed his 5-40 with the ball with a knock of 62, aided by Sadun’s 32, to keep the team in with a chance of catching Royal at the top of the table.

In the same competition Cyprus Super Kings needed a last-wicket stand of 38 between Kondeboyina Vignesh and Thirumal Reddy to reach their modest total of 124, with Markhor’s Tajammal Sardar taking 3-23.

Markhor soon passed their target in only the 11th over, with Muhammad Qamar Ali making 54.

The draw for the quarter finals of the T20 Cup was made after the weekend’s matches, and the games will be played on Sunday. The pairings are:

MSN Punjab Lions v Moufflons

Nicosia Tigers v Napa Royal Kings

Black Caps v Sri Lankans

Sri Lanka Lions v Markho