Lanka T10 Super League: Hambantota Bangla Tigers Secure First Win

After a tough start to the Lanka T10 Super League, the Hambantota Bangla Tigers finally tasted victory today, defeating Nuwara Eliya Kings by 7 wickets. The Tigers had lost their opening match to Jaffna and faced two consecutive washouts due to rain before today’s win.

In the chase, Sabir Rahman played a match-winning role. With just five balls faced, Sabir struck two boundaries, including a four to fine leg in the 8th over, to seal the victory for his team. He remained unbeaten on 11 from 5 balls, ensuring a comfortable win with 17 balls to spare.

Earlier, Nuwara Eliya Kings struggled to put up a fight, managing only 82 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Their innings began disastrously, with the team losing 4 wickets for just 6 runs. Openers Avishka Fernando and Kyle Mayers both fell for 1 run each, and Umar Akmal was dismissed for a golden duck.

Danushka Gunathilaka also went for a duck, leaving Nuwara Eliya in deep trouble. The Kings' recovery came from captain Sourav Tiwari and Benny Howell, who scored 26 and 29 (off 14 balls) respectively. Despite their efforts, the Kings were restricted to a modest total of 82.

In response, the Bangla Tigers lost Mohammad Shahzad on the first ball of their chase but quickly recovered. Captain Dasun Shanaka contributed 20 runs from 10 balls, and opener Kushal Perera made 33 off 15 balls, helping to set the foundation for the chase.

The Tigers lost their third wicket at 60 runs, but Sabir Rahman partnered with Shevon Daniel to add 26 runs, guiding the team to victory. The Bangla Tigers reached the target comfortably with 17 balls remaining, securing their first win of the tournament.