[caption id="attachment_179867" align="alignleft" width="421"]
Galle Gladiators beat defending champions Jaffna Kings for the second time in the tournament this time. Photo SLC[/caption]
By Marlon Dale Ferreira
Galle Gladiators beat defending champions Jaffna Kings for the second time in the current opening stages of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 by 20 runs in a rather low-scoring encounter at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Friday (17).
This is the second time the reigning northern team failed to go past 110 runs against the Galle Gladiators whom they beat in last year’s final.
With this win, Galle Gladiators secured the second spot in the points table ahead of Dambulla Giants, who lost their last first-round game against Kandy Warriors also Friday.
Play-offs begin in Hambantota
The First Qualifier of this year’s LPL is to be played on Sunday (19) in Hambantota. It will be between Jaffna Kings, who top the table, and Galle Gladiators with the winner going straight to the final.
The loser will have another ‘bite at the cherry’ when they play the winner of the Eliminator which would be between Dambulla Giants and either Colombo Stars or Kandy Warriors.
Report of Match 19
In Friday’s 19th match, Galle Gladiators, who batted after winning the toss, found it going really tough at the beginning when they lost Kusal Mendis (9) with the score on 11 in the third over.
However there was a glimmer of hope when Danushka Gunathilaka and Mohamed Hafeez took the score to 40 for the loss of one wicket at the end of the Powerplay overs.
Thereafter wickets kept falling at regular intervals and Gladiators crumbled and struggled in getting to 129/8 at the end of their 20 overs.
For Jaffna Kings, Wahab Riyaz, Praveen Jayawickrama, and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth grabbed two wickets apiece.
The Kings, in response, failed miserably in their run chase and if it wasn’t a case of simply gifting their wickets due to irresponsible shot selections, then they also chose to get out by needlessly running themselves out.
Galle Gladiators’ skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who himself took two catches, marshalled his bowlers well, set up attacking field placements, and also made a bold decision in bringing on his 16-year-old Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahamed in the 16th over to bowl to Kings’ skipper Thisara Perera and the well set Shoaib Malik. This move proved crucial as Ahamed clean-bowled Thisara Perera and also got Malik caught brilliantly by Mohamed Hafeez at cover point with the last delivery of his four-over spell.
Brief Scores:
Galle Gladiators 129/8 (20) (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 23, Danushka Gunathilaka 19, Praveen Jayawickrama 2/13, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2/21, Wahab Riaz 2/31)
Jaffna Kings 109 all out (18.3) (Shoaib Malik 23, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 21; Noor Ahmed 2/12, Samit Patel 2/15)
Player of the Match: Bhanuka Rajapaksa
Galle Gladiators beat defending champions Jaffna Kings for the second time in the tournament this time. Photo SLC[/caption]
By Marlon Dale Ferreira
Galle Gladiators beat defending champions Jaffna Kings for the second time in the current opening stages of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 by 20 runs in a rather low-scoring encounter at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Friday (17).
This is the second time the reigning northern team failed to go past 110 runs against the Galle Gladiators whom they beat in last year’s final.
With this win, Galle Gladiators secured the second spot in the points table ahead of Dambulla Giants, who lost their last first-round game against Kandy Warriors also Friday.
Play-offs begin in Hambantota
The First Qualifier of this year’s LPL is to be played on Sunday (19) in Hambantota. It will be between Jaffna Kings, who top the table, and Galle Gladiators with the winner going straight to the final.
The loser will have another ‘bite at the cherry’ when they play the winner of the Eliminator which would be between Dambulla Giants and either Colombo Stars or Kandy Warriors.
Report of Match 19
In Friday’s 19th match, Galle Gladiators, who batted after winning the toss, found it going really tough at the beginning when they lost Kusal Mendis (9) with the score on 11 in the third over.
However there was a glimmer of hope when Danushka Gunathilaka and Mohamed Hafeez took the score to 40 for the loss of one wicket at the end of the Powerplay overs.
Thereafter wickets kept falling at regular intervals and Gladiators crumbled and struggled in getting to 129/8 at the end of their 20 overs.
For Jaffna Kings, Wahab Riyaz, Praveen Jayawickrama, and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth grabbed two wickets apiece.
The Kings, in response, failed miserably in their run chase and if it wasn’t a case of simply gifting their wickets due to irresponsible shot selections, then they also chose to get out by needlessly running themselves out.
Galle Gladiators’ skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who himself took two catches, marshalled his bowlers well, set up attacking field placements, and also made a bold decision in bringing on his 16-year-old Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahamed in the 16th over to bowl to Kings’ skipper Thisara Perera and the well set Shoaib Malik. This move proved crucial as Ahamed clean-bowled Thisara Perera and also got Malik caught brilliantly by Mohamed Hafeez at cover point with the last delivery of his four-over spell.
Brief Scores:
Galle Gladiators 129/8 (20) (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 23, Danushka Gunathilaka 19, Praveen Jayawickrama 2/13, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2/21, Wahab Riaz 2/31)
Jaffna Kings 109 all out (18.3) (Shoaib Malik 23, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 21; Noor Ahmed 2/12, Samit Patel 2/15)
Player of the Match: Bhanuka Rajapaksa