Galle Titans made it two wins in two games after beating B – Love Kandy convincingly in Match No. 5 of the Lanka Premier League 2023, which took place today (1st August) at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Galle Titans Captain Dasun Shanaka decided to bat first after winning the toss. The Titans made a couple of changes, bringing in Akila Dananjaya and Richard Ngarava in place of Seekkuge Prasanna and Vishwa Fernando while Kandy replaced Asif Ali with Sarfaraz Ahmad.
<<< Bowlers, Fernando shine as Dambulla Aura thump Jaffna Kings >>>
The opening stand between Shevon Daniel and Lasith Croospulle was broken at 33, courtesy of Angelo Mathews’ terrific direct hit to run Croospulle out for 11. Thanuka Dabare took a brilliant catch to dismiss Bhanuka Rapajapaksa (4) off Aamer Jamal with the score on 50.
>>Photos – Galle Titans vs B-Love Kandy | LPL 2023 – Match 05<<
Soon after, the Captain Wanindu Hasaranga made the 3rd breakthrough, removing Daniel for a 31-ball 25. Shakib Al Hasan joined Tim Seifert in the middle and brought some momentum back into the Titans innings. The duo stitched together in a superb 95-run partnership using only 51 balls.
Shakib made 30 off 21 balls including 2 sixes before being run out by Thanuka Dabare, who looked brilliant on the field tonight. Tim Seifert was the star with the bat for the Titans as he made a blistering 74. His innings came off just 39 deliveries and included 5 fours and sixes apiece.
Galle Titans has finished with a similar total which they posted yesterday against Dambulla – 180/5. On the other hand, Skipper Hasaranga, Hasnain and Jamal scalped a wicket each for B-Love.
>>HIGHLIGHTS – B-Love Kandy vs Galle Titans – Lanka Premier League 2023 | Match 05<<
Chasing 181 to win, Kandy lost their first wicket in the 2nd ball of the first over. Dinesh Chandimal was the batter to be dismissed for a 2-ball duck, nicking through to the keeper off Kasun Rajitha. Kamindu Mendis’ stay at the crease did not last long as Rajitha picked up his second wicket.
The Zimbabwean pacer Richard Ngarava got the wicket of the experienced Angelo Mathews before Lahiru Samarakoon dismissed Thanuka Dabare, reducing Kandy to 26/4 in 5 overs. Soon it became 46/6 with the wickets of Hasaranga and Asif Ali.
Aamer Jamal was the second victim of Shakib as the 7th wicket down for 63. Ashen Bandara showed some fight for a very small period before Tabraiz Shamsi got the better of him. The latter scored 27 off 19 balls with in 1 four & 2 sixes. In 17.1 overs, B – Love Kandy were blown away for 97, handing a massive 83-run win to the Galle Titans who topped the points table.
In the bowling department, all the Titans’ bowlers who were used were able to take wickets tonight. Rajitha, Shakib, Ngarava and Shamsi finished with a couple of wickets apiece, while Samarakoon and Dananjaya shared another two wickets.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shevon Daniel | c Kamindu Mendis b Wanindu Hasaranga | 25 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 80.65 |
| Lasith Croospulle | run out (Angelo Mathews) | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 78.57 |
| Bhanuka Rajapaksa | c Thanuka Dabare b Aamer Jamal | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Tim Seifert | c Wanindu Hasaranga b Mohammad Hasnain | 74 | 39 | 5 | 5 | 189.74 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | run out (Thanuka Dabare) | 30 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 142.86 |
| Dasun Shanaka | not out | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 180.00 |
| Lahiru Samarakoon | not out | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Extras | 21 (b 1 , lb 12 , nb 1, w 7, pen 0) |
| Total | 180/5 (20 Overs, RR: 9) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mujeeb ur Rahman | 4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6.25 | |
| Isuru Udana | 4 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 7.50 | |
| Aamer Jamal | 3 | 0 | 43 | 1 | 14.33 | |
| Mohammad Hasnain | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 6.50 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6.75 | |
| Kamindu Mendis | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 16.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanuka Dabare | c Kasun Rajitha b Lahiru Samarakoon | 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 109.09 |
| Dinesh Chandimal | c Tim Seifert b Kasun Rajitha | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kamindu Mendis | c Shevon Daniel b Kasun Rajitha | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Angelo Mathews | b Richard Ngarava | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | c Tabraiz Shamsi b Richard Ngarava | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 128.57 |
| Ashen Bandara | c Akila Dananjaya b Tabraiz Shamsi | 27 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 142.11 |
| Asif Ali | c Akila Dananjaya b Shakib Al Hasan | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 37.50 |
| Aamer Jamal | b Shakib Al Hasan | 6 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 27.27 |
| Isuru Udana | lbw b Tabraiz Shamsi | 16 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 133.33 |
| Mohammad Hasnain | c Kasun Rajitha b Akila Dananjaya | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mujeeb ur Rahman | not out | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 19 (b 8 , lb 7 , nb 0, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 97/10 (17.1 Overs, RR: 5.65) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasun Rajitha | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 4.00 | |
| Richard Ngarava | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 5.00 | |
| Lahiru Samarakoon | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 4.00 | |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | 4 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 5.00 | |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 3 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 3.33 | |
| Akila Dananjaya | 3.1 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 6.77 | |
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 at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.){kind=link}