Words escape hat-trick hero Udana

The left-arm medium pacer helped Wayamba end their campaign with an emphatic 74-run victory over the Central Districts.

Wayamba, in blue, celebrate their victory over Central Districts that ensured they did not finish bottom of Group A, instead leapfrogging the New Zealanders into fourth spot.

Isuru Udana bagged the first hat-trick of the Champions League Twenty20 to help Wayamba end their campaign with an emphatic 74-run victory over the Central Districts in Port Elizabeth. The young left-armer removed the middle-order trio of Brad Patton, Mathew Sinclair and George Worker in a damaging show of medium pace as the New Zealand team, chasing an ordinary 145 for victory, were bundled out for 70 in 15.3 overs.

Udana who was named man of the match, said on Cricinfo.com: "I am really happy and I don't have any words. The wicket was slow and it worked for me." He finished with three for 22 and received good support from Ajantha Mendis (three for 14) and Rangana Herath (two for seven) in restricting Central Districts after Wayamba set a modest total, in which Jehan Mubarak, their captain, top scored with 30.

In response, the Stags took 11 from their first over, but suffered a blow when Jamie How, their in-form captain, was trapped lbw by Mendis for 10. Udana turned the game on its head in the third over, before a second for Mendis stunned their opponents even further when he dismissed Peter Ingram (two) to leave the New Zealanders on 16 for five. Kieran Noema-Barnett (10) managed to put on 20 with Brendon Diamanti for the sixth wicket, but their stand was soon ended by Herath.

Bevan Griggs ended top scorer with 19, but was dismissed by a stunning Mubarak catch at extra cover to sum up the Stags' day. Earlier, Wayamba, who struggled to get going in all of their previous games, again looked short of ideas despite another promising start from their top order. They lost Jeevantha Kulatunga (six) in the third over, the impressive Michael Mason (two for 16) enticing a square drive straight to Diamanti.

But Mahela Udawatte (23) shared 25 and 43-run partnerships with Mahela Jayawardene (20) and Mubarak respectively to leave the Sri Lankans in a decent position with more than six overs to go. The loss of the captain, though, attempting to go for a shot too many against Noema-Barnett, dampened the possibility of a flourish towards the end. Kaushal Lokuarachchi (12) and Kushal Perera (one) then fell in quick succession and it was only Shalika Karunanayake's 15 not out at the end which helped them reach 144 for six.

Mubarak said on Cricinfo.com: "We really wanted to win today. We felt 144 was less [than we needed] and we got bogged down in the middle overs. "Udana's hat-trick put them on the back foot. The wicket was on the slower side and it suited our bowling." * Agency