05/07Result
6th Match (N), Lanka Premier League at Dambulla, Jul 5 2024
Jaffna won by 5 wkts (2b rem)
Player of the Match
Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah OmarzaiJaffna Kings
05/07Result
6th Match (N), Lanka Premier League at Dambulla, Jul 5 2024
Jaffna won by 5 wkts (2b rem)
Player of the Match
Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah OmarzaiJaffna Kings

11.15pm And that is that from the first LPL 2024 game in Dambulla. It turned out to be a cracker, and we thoroughly enjoyed bringing it to you. We hope you enjoyed it as well. Until next time, goodbye!

Charith Asalanka, Jaffna captain: "I'm very pleased, first of all I want to give credit to the bowlers. To keep them under 190 was amazing in these conditions. I was planning to keep them under 200, and knew we can chase it."

Niroshan Dickwella, Galle captain: "I think we were 10 runs short. In the powerplay they really bowled well, they won the powerplay when we were batting. Ball was moving a bit, and we wanted to keep wickets in hand, and then go at the end. Their fast bowlers hit the deck and there was seam movement and swing as well. All these three games, we have played good cricket, even today."

Azmatullah Omarzai is the Player of the Match. "When I went in, there was no time to get set, you had to go from first ball, so I went and played my natural game. We were not under pressure because they were one bowler short and we knew we could go for it in the last over."

11.03pm Another terrific contest between two of the better teams in this competition. Jaffna have leapfrogged Galle to the top of the table. Both teams have the same points total at this stage, but Jaffna have the better NRR. A century from Tim Seifert earlier in the day, but both he and Galle are perhaps now paying for a slow start. Terrific efforts from Mendis, Rossouw and Omarzai to ace the chase for Jaffna. Excellent spell with the ball earlier in the day from Omarzai, we mustn't forget, particularly the new-ball swing.

19.4
4
Arachchige to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR, and there's the win. Galle triumphed in a thriller between these sides a few days ago, and now Jaffna have had their revenge. Another terrific game. Floated up wide of off, goes hard at the drive, and the thick edge flies away to the right of the keeper, and that is that

I failed to mention it, but Omarzai has been batting bare-headed through this over.

19.3
6
Arachchige to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX, full-toss, angling into the stumps, and Omarzai levels the scores with a spanking hit! It was a hittable ball, yes, but how well does he put it away. Pumps his fist after clearing his front leg and launching it over the midwicket boundary
19.2
2
Arachchige to Azmatullah Omarzai, 2 runs, very full, angling into leg stump, and he gets his feet out of the way and whips into the gap between deep midwicket and long-on
19.1
4
Arachchige to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR, and he starts with a wide half-volley that's dispatched. Uses all the width to free his arms and drill it to the right of extra-cover

It comes down to 13 off the last over, with Arachchige to bowl his offbreaks. Over the wicket to Omarzai.

END OF OVER:
19 | 14 Runs | JK: 175/5 (13 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 9.21, RRR: 13.00)

  • Charith Asalanka14 (8b)
  • Azmatullah Omarzai19 (9b)
  • Dwaine Pretorius4-0-34-1
  • Isuru Udana4-0-42-1
18.6
2
Pretorius to Asalanka, 2 runs, in the air, and it stays in the air a long, long time, but Tharupathi can't get to it! Slower offcutter wide of off, and Asalanka looks to hit over the covers. He's reaching for the ball, he slices it high, and Tharupathi, running in from deep point, can't quite judge it with the ball swirling around in the wind. Has to dive to his left in the end, and he can't get his hands to the ball

15 off 7.

18.5
6
Pretorius to Asalanka, SIX, and that's a gorgeous, gorgeous shot. Full, angling in towards off stump, and he steps across and picks it up wristily, lovely use of the bottom hand to get it up and over the midwicket boundary

Back round tjhe wicket to Asalanka.

18.4
1
Pretorius to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, length ball outside off, not wide this time, swiped down to long-on
18.4
1w
Pretorius to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 wide, again, wide line goes wrong, and Omarzai leaves again. Length ball, looking to force Omarzai to hit that side of the field
18.4
1w
Pretorius to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 wide, on-pace, goes for the wide line and a fullish length, ends up the other side of the tramline. Left alone

24 off 9.

18.3
1
Pretorius to Asalanka, 1 run, slower ball outside off, fairly full, gets forward and flat-bats on the bounce to long-off

back round the wicket to the left-hander.

18.2
1
Pretorius to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, slower length ball outside off, flat-batted down to long-off

26 off 11 now... Over the wicket to Omarzai.

18.1
1
Pretorius to Asalanka, 1 run, back of a length outside off, slapped to deep point

Pretorius. Round the wicket to Asalanka.

END OF OVER:
18 | 16 Runs | JK: 161/5 (27 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.94, RRR: 13.50)

  • Azmatullah Omarzai17 (7b)
  • Charith Asalanka4 (4b)
  • Isuru Udana4-0-42-1
  • Zahoor Khan4-0-33-2
17.6
6
Udana to Azmatullah Omarzai, SIX, heaved away, and it carries all the way over the midwicket boundary! Excellent hit, and he held his shape well against the slower ball. The line wasn't too far outside off this time, and the length was fairly full too. Just cleared his front leg, let the ball get into his arc, and smashed it
17.5
0
Udana to Azmatullah Omarzai, no run, better length for that field. Back of a length, angling across, slower ball, and he tries to flat-bat it square and ends up dragging it back to the bowler

Mid-off and extra-cover still inside the circle.

17.4
1
Udana to Asalanka, 1 run, low full-toss angling into off stump, whipped away towards deep square leg
17.3
1
Udana to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, slower ball on leg stump, looks to clear his front leg and hoick into the leg side, gets an inside edge into his pad. They take a quick single by the time the bowler can pick the ball up in his follow-through and attempt the run out
17.2
4
Udana to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR, four more! Mid-off is in the circle still, and Udana goes full on the stumps. Not quite a yorker, and he punches with a full face and just gets it past mid-off diving to his right
17.1
4
Udana to Azmatullah Omarzai, FOUR, terrific shot. Full, slanting away from off stump, and Omarzai gets down low, onto his back knee, and flat-bats it between mid-off and extra-cover

Udana. Left-arm over.

END OF OVER:
17 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | JK: 145/5 (43 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.52, RRR: 14.33)

  • Azmatullah Omarzai2 (2b)
  • Charith Asalanka3 (3b)
  • Zahoor Khan4-0-33-2
  • Maheesh Theekshana4-0-29-1

11 runs and two wickets in the Power Blast overs. Galle are on top now, but Jaffna aren't out of it.

16.6
1
Zahoor Khan to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, slower bouncer outside off, waits an eternity before getting on top of the bounce and tapping it down into the point region
16.5
1
Zahoor Khan to Asalanka, 1 run, full, angling into the stumps, looks to swipe this through midwicket and gets an inside-edge that ricochets off the pad into the covers

Round the wicket to the left-hander.

16.4
1
Zahoor Khan to Azmatullah Omarzai, 1 run, another slower ball into the pitch, turns like an offbreak, and he helps it off his hip down to long leg

Azmatullah Omarzai is in at No. 7. Zahoor goes over the wicket.

16.3
W
Zahoor Khan to Rossouw, OUT, another slower short ball that completely dies off the pitch, and it gets Galle a massive, massive wicket. The line is outside off, and he tries to set himself up to slash it over the off side, but he's so early on the shot, so off-balance, that he skews it high in the air for extra-cover to settle under

RR Rossouw c Liyanage b Zahoor Khan 67 (42b 8x4 3x6) SR: 159.52

Jaffna 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st25BKG MendisP Nissanka
2nd34RR RossouwBKG Mendis
3rd36RR RossouwWIA Fernando
4th41RR RossouwAI Ross
5th6RR RossouwKIC Asalanka
6th49KIC AsalankaAzmatullah Omarzai