The re-laid pitch at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium produced a plethora of runs as Jaffna Kings and Galle Gallants got the Lanka Premier League Play-offs to a scorching start piling up a total of 470 runs with 30 sixers in 40 overs yesterday.
In this high scoring affair, it was Jaffna Kings who came out victorious beating Galle Gallants by 12 runs and with it secured a place in Saturday’s final.
Galle Gallants will have a second chance to make it to the final in a couple of days when they play in Qualifier 2 where they meet the winner of the Eliminator.
T20 cricket is all about batting and the game was decided by the bat with Player of the Match Kamil Mishara smacking a scintillating century – 108 off 55 balls (10 fours, 7 sixes) and fifties from Khawaja Nafay (54 off 32 balls, 4 fours, 3 sixes) who figured in an innings defining 138-run stand, off 65 balls with Mishara and, Towhid Hridoy who continued his dashing form to deliver a 21-ball 54* (3 fours, 5 sixes) to take Jaffna Kings to the highest total in the history of LPL – 242-2 beating their own score of 240-4 (20) against Dambulla Aura at Pallekele in 2022.
Galle Gallants were boosted in their run chase by contributions from Sam Harper (44 off 21), Charith Asalanka (27 off 13), Chamika Karunaratne (39 off 21) and Dasun Shanaka (34 off 19). In the midst of all the big hitting there were moments of brilliance in the field with Jaffna Kings skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa taking two terrific catches to remove Karunaratne and Mohammad Nawaz. The dismissal of Karunaratne brought to an end a formidable stand of 63 from 27 balls with Shanaka. Had the partnership continued for a few more overs there could have been a completely different result. – [ST]
Scores:
Jaffna Kings 242-2 (20) (Kamil Mishara 108*, Khawaja Nafay 54, Towhid Hridoy 54*) vs. Galle Gallants 230-8 (20) (Sam Harper 42, Charith Asalanka 27, Chamika Karunaratne 39, Dasun Shanaka 34, Dinura Kalupahana 22*, Sachindu Colombage 27*, Mohamed Shiraz 3/34, Lizaad Williams 2/39)