Jaffna Kings beat Galle Gladiators by 16 runs in the 17th match of Lanka Premier League 2022 played today (18th December) at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Jaffna Kings skipper Thisara Perera won the toss and opted to bat first with three changes to their playing XI from the previous game.
Jaffna Kings (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama(w), Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera(c), Afif Hossain, James Fuller, Dunith Wellalage, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Binura Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana
Galle Gladiators (Playing XI): Thanuka Dabare, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Lahiru Udara, Asad Shafiq, Nuwanidu Fernando, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Nuwan Thushara
Read : Karunaratne’s four-wicket haul rattles Colombo Stars as Kandy Falcons cruise to an easy win
Jaffna opening pair Gurbaz and Fernando got starts with the bat scoring 23 and 18 respectively but couldn’t convert them to big innings as both lost their wickets inside the powerplay. The wicket-keeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama then built a 66-run partnership with Afif Hossain for the 3rd wicket which set up the platform for a big score for Jaffna Kings.
Hossain stood out above the rest of the Jaffna batters making his debut LPL half-century. A useful cameo from the skipper Perera at the latter stage of the innings boosted Jaffna Kings total as they posted 170/8 in the allotted 20 overs.
Read More : Record-breaking Daniel-Cox stand gives Dambulla Aura first win
The speedsters Wahab Riaz and Nuwan Thushara impressed with the ball for the Gladiators sharing 5 wickets between them.
Chasing 171 runs to win, the Gladiators needed someone to anchor the innings, which they got through the skipper Mendis who gritted it out with a fighting 45-ball 58 runs, but he cruelly lost the strike at the end of the innings. Therefore, Mendis couldn’t pivot the chase for Gladiators as they may have planned.
There were few starts with the bat in the middle order, but none could manage to take their innings deep. Jaffna was efficient with the ball and good in the field which enabled them to snatch a 16-run win and secure a top-2 finish in the points table.
Brief Scores
Jaffna Kings – 170/8 (20) Afif Hossain 54, Sadeera Samarawickrama 32, Thisara Perera 26, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 23, Wahab Riaz 3/27, Nuwan Thushara 2/31
Galle Gladiators – 154/9 (20) Kusal Mendis 58, Iftikhar Ahmed 23, Nuwanidu Fernando 22, Binura Fernando 3/20, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2/27, James Fuller 2/27
Result – Jaffna Kings won by 16 runs
 at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.){kind=link}