Fernando, Tharanga star in clinical win for Uva

Uva Next 139 for 2 (Tharanga 65*) beat Basnahira Cricket Dundee 136 for 9 (Dilshan 56, Fernando 5-17) by eight wickets

Upul Tharanga finished the job with an unbeaten 65 for Uva © Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPL

A measured 65 not out from Upul Tharanga and a five-wicket haul by Dilhara Fernando took Uva Next to an eight-wicket win over Basnahira Cricket Dundee at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Uva chased down Basnahira's 136 for 9 in 18.2 overs, with Shoaib Malik at the crease alongside Tharanga, as the pair put on 79 to close out the match. Tharanga was characteristically strong through the off side throughout his innings, but it was Dilshan Munaweera who provided the early impetus with three powerfully struck boundaries in his 14-ball stay. Tharanga switched to accumulation mode after Munaweera's dismissal, and Malik did likewise when he came to the crease at 60 for 2. Untroubled by Basnahira's bowlers on what remained a good batting pitch after the run-fest that had occurred on the same surface just hours earlier, the pair accelerated in the final overs to ensure there would be no unexpected hiccups.

Fernando didn't bowl his first over until the 16th of the Basnahira innings, but finished with five wickets - three from his last four balls - and in doing so, ensured Basnahira couldn't propel themselves past the modest total they had seemed headed for, for much of their innings. Jeevan Mendis was his first scalp, holing out in an attempt to accelerate and it became a pattern in Fernando's wickets. Indika de Saram was taken in by Fernando's split-finger slower ball and miscued his stroke to mid-off, before Rangana Herath, Cameron Borgas and Lahiru Jayaratne all fell on the leg side boundary in the last over.

Tillekeratne Dilshan made 56 for Basnahira, but unlike his savage innings from the previous evening, this fifty came at a relatively pedestrian strike rate of 117. Like his team-mates, Dilshan struggled for timing, often attempting expansive strokes, only to settle for mis-hit singles into the outfield. Jacob Oram provided the early pressure for Uva with three wickets in the first seven overs - setbacks Basnahira never really recovered from.

Andrew Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent in Sri Lanka

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