LPL 2020: Match 12, DAM vs GAL – Tharanga’s record fifty, Dambulla's opening stand and more stats

Galle Gladiators continue their losing streak as they went down to Dambulla Viiking by nine runs in a thrilling fixture on Saturday. Dambulla’s openers Upul Tharanga (77) and Niroshan Dickwella (60) put on 110 for the first wicket as Viiking ended up posting a huge total of 207/4. In reply, Gladiators raced to 141/2 by end of the 13th over with help of fifties from Danushka Gunathilaka (78) and Azam Khan (55). The dismissal of the latter triggered a collapse for Galle who could only make 57 runs in their last seven overs.

Here are all the statistical highlights from Dambulla’s thrilling win during DAM vs GAL game:

Tharanga’s record fifty:

16 – The 77-run knock by Upul Tharanga is now his 16th score in excess of 50 runs in the Twenty20 format on Sri Lankan soil including two tons; the most 50+ scores in the T20s hosted by Sri Lanka. Dinesh Chandimal also has 16 fifty-plus T20 scores in Sri Lanka with the latest of them coming on Friday night only.

Openers make most with the bat:

3 – As many as three players scored 60+ runs while opening the batting in the DAM vs GAL game – Upul Tharanga (77), Niroshan Dickwella (60) and Danushka Gunathilaka (78). This is only the 2nd T20 match hosted by Sri Lanka with three 60+ scores from opening batsmen.

The other such instance came in 2012 during the domestic T20 game between Bloomfield CAC and Chilaw Marians CC. The four openers in DAM vs GAL aggregated 234 runs which are also the 3rd most by openers during a T20 in Sri Lanka.

6 – The DAM vs GAL game is only the 6th T20 game hosted by Sri Lanka where two players from each side scored 50+ runs. (Tharanga and Dickwella for Dambulla; Gunathilaka and Azam Khan for Galle)

A big stand to stand the things for Dambulla:

110 – Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella’s 110-run partnership is the first century opening stand in this tournament. Overall, this was the 4th century partnership recorded in the LPL 2020. The previous highest opening stand in the tournament was 75 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Kusal Perera of Kandy Tuskers in the tournament opener.

Danushka’s hat-trick with the bat:

3 – Danushka Gunathilaka has scored 50+ runs in each of his last three innings in the T20 format. Prior to the 76-run knock on Saturday, Gunathilaka made 56 and 82 respectively for Galle.

Perera’s milestone catch:

50 – The catch taken by Angelo Perera to dismiss Danushka Gunathilaka was his 50th catch in the Twenty20 format in Sri Lanka. Angelo Perera now has become the first player to claim 50 catches in Twenty20s on Sri Lankan soil.