CL T20 10: Wayamba Win Scarcely, Bushrangers Qualify

The situation was clear. Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 champions, Wayamba Eleven, had to win by forty-four runs to qualify for the Super Eights of the Champions League Twenty20. But Australia’s Victoria Bushrangers managed to get the runs, even if they lost the match to qualify for the Super Eights to leave Wayamba out in the cold.
Sri Lanka’s Wayamba started slow and steady with Michael Vandort joining hands with Kulatunga after the early loss of Udawatte. While Vandort made forty-two runs, Kulatunga made forty-one runs. However, the sixty-nine runs in twelve runs did not give them time enough for acceleration and Shane Harwood’s wicket haul burst Wayamba’s bubble.
Three wickets for Harwood, two for Clint McKay and Andrew MacDonald meant that Wayamba managed just 118 in their twenty overs.
Victoria Bushrangers were reduced to two down for seventeen with Rob Quiney going for a duck. However, with the issue of qualification more pressing than a win, Victoria changed gears and with the help of Brad Hodge’s forty-four runs and MacDonald’s three successive fours managed to make qualification for eighty-four, dumping Wayamba out despite a win.