Victoria too good for Wayamba

Bushrangers score a thumping 8-wicket win to keep their semifinal hopes alive

Peter Siddle returned with a four-wicket haul to help Victoria bowl out Wayamba for a paltry 106 after Jehan Mubarak won the toss and elected to bat.

David Hussey (47) and Aaron Finch (38) then shared an unbeaten 47-ball 77-run third wicket partnership to overhaul the target with 6.4 overs to spare as Victoria moved to the second spot in the points table of Group A.

Victoria’s brilliant runchase also improved their run-rate but the road to semifinals will depend on the result of the match between the Warriors and Chennai Super Kings at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene anchored the Wayamba innings with a 40-ball 51 but the Sri Lankan team lost last eight wickets for 25 runs to be bundled out in 16.3 overs at the SuperSport park here.

Chasing 107 to win, Victoria lost two early wickets — Brad Hodge (8) and Matthew Wade (5) — for 31 runs in 5.3 overs but Finch and Hussey added an unfinished 77 to take their home comfortably.

Looking to flick Thisara Perera across the short fine leg boundary, Hodge lobbed it straight to Isuru Udana, while Wade was done in by a latter’s slower ball. Finch picked up his first boundary in the fourth over off Perara and repeated the treatment to Karunanayake in the 12th over.

In the eighth over, Hussey smashed two fours and a six off Udana to accumulate 17 runs, before hitting Shalika Karunanayake for another boundary in the 10th over. Rangana Herath was at their receiving end in the 13th over, when Finch clobbered a six over mid-wicket and Hussey completed the over with a four across extra cover.

In the 14th over, Hussey blasted a huge six off Chanaka Welegedara to bring up the winning runs for Victoria.

Earlier electing to bat, Wayamba had a shaky start as they lost two early wickets in opener Jeevantha Kulatunga and Mahela Udawatte with the score reading just nine in 1.3 overs.

Jayawardene and skipper Jehan Mubarak (44) then tried to stem the rod and added 72 runs in 52 balls for the third wicket but the Sri Lankan side suffered a massive batting collapse and folded for 106 in 16.3 overs.

Jayawardene and Mubarak were the only batsmen to score in double figures as five of their teammates were back to the pavilion for duck. Siddle scalped four wickets, while his teammates James Pattinson and Andrew McDonald took two wickets each for 14 and 22 runs.

Wayamba had a shaky start as they lost two early wickets in opener Jeevantha Kulatunga and Mahela Udawatte with the score reading just nine in 1.3 overs.

SCORE BOARD

WAYAMBA XI: Mahela Jayawardene b Siddle 51, Jeevantha Kulatunga b Pattinson 0, Mahela Udawatte (run out) 0, Jehan Mubarak c Hussey b McDonald 44, Kushal Perera c Hussey b Pattinson 2, Shalika Karunanayake st Wade b McDonald 0, Tisara Perera c Wade b Siddle 0, Isuru Udana c Hastings b Siddle 0, Rangana Herath b Siddle 2, Ajantha Mendis b Nannes 1, Chanaka Welegedara (not out) 0. Extras (B-1, LB-1, W-4) 6. Total (all out, 16.3 overs) 106.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-9, 3-81, 4-90, 5-94, 6-95, 7-95, 8-105, 9-106.

Bowling: Dirk Nannes 2.3-0-10-1, James Pattinson 3-1-14-2, Peter Siddle 4-0-29-4, Clint McKay 2-0-14-0, Andrew McDonald 4-0-22-2, John Hastings 1-0-15-0.

VICTORIA BUSHRANGERS: Aaron Finch (not out) 38, Brad Hodge c Udana b Perera 8, Matthew Wade b Udana 5, David Hussey (not out) 47. Extras (B-4, LB-2, W-3, NB-1) 10. Total (for 2 wkts, 13.2 overs) 108.

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-31.

Bowling: Isuru Udana 3-0-31-1, Tisara Perera 2-0-13-1, Ajantha Mendis 3-0-10-0, Rangana Herath 3-0-23-0, Shalika Karunanayake 2-0-15-0, Chanaka Welegedara 0.2-0-10-0.