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Player Of The Match
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Scorecard Summary
JAFFNA KINGS 137 (19.5 OVERS)
- Shoaib Malik30 (27)
- Dunith Wellalage30 (20)
- Imad Wasim2/22 (4)
- Iftikhar Ahmed2/8 (1)
GALLE GLADIATORS 113 (20 OVERS)
- Imad Wasim17 (22)
- Kusal Mendis51 (43)
- Binura Fernando3/22 (3)
- Vijayakanth Viyaskanth2/20 (4)
Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar
And, that will be a wrap from us for this game. But don't worry, the action comes thick and fast at this year's LPL, with Colombo Stars taking on Kandy Falcons in a few minutes' time. Till then, this is me (Shashwat) on behalf of Ranjith, signing off. Goodbye, take care!
Thisara Perera, Jaffna Kings captain: I am trusting my bowlers because I feel this wicket was a little sticky. I know I have wonderful bowlers. (On the pressure of being defending champions) This is another tournament and we are going game by game.
Kusal Mendis, Galle Gladiators captain: (Where did it go wrong) Opening partnership was good but after that we lost a lot of wickets. That is why we made 138 look like a big score. Earlier, it was easy to bat against the new ball. As the ball got old, it was tough to play normal shots. The wicket was a little slow and that is why we lost wickets in the middle.
Dunith Wellalage, Player of the Match: (On your performance) I was trying to play my normal game. My teammates gave me great support, as did my team management. I tried to keep things simple. The wicket was turning so I always tried to do my normal bowling.
Right. Time for the post-match presentation.
6:45pm Phew, that was some game! It ebbed and flowed throughout and up until the final five overs, it was anybody's game. The Gladiators were perhaps better in both powerplays and in the death overs of the first innings. But when it mattered, especially in the middle overs of the run-chase, the Kings came up trumps. They rode on their young spin duo of Viyaskanth and Wellalage, who caused the Gladiators all sorts of problems with their flight, drift and dip. The wicket also aided their endeavours and once Theekshana came back to outwit Mendis in the 16th over, the writing was on the wall for last year's runners-up. This contest, if anything, proved why the Jaffna Kings have won two LPL titles on the bounce and how they are equipped to win different types of games. Word has to go out to Wellalage too, whose cameo in the first innings possibly ended up being the difference today.
As for the Gladiators, there were plenty of positives, most notably how they bowled and how Mendis batted, despite being up against a turning track. Their bowling unit also did largely well, with Imad Wasim and Wahab among the wickets. On the night, though, it was not enough.
END OF OVER:20 | (wicket maiden) | GG: 113/10 (25 runs required, RR: 5.65)
- Pulina Tharanga1 (4b)
- Binura Fernando3-1-22-3
- James Fuller4-0-19-1
N Thushara c sub (†S Samarawickrama) b B Fernando 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Thushara comes out to face the final ball
N Pradeep c Shoaib Malik b B Fernando 1 (7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 14.28
Four sixes needed to tie the game now