Jaffna Kings registered a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Dambulla Giants in the Lanka Premier League at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.
It was a king-size finish by Thisara Perera’s team as they galloped to 114 for 2 in just 12.3 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore finishing on an unbeaten 45 off 30 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Shoaib Malik provided the final flourish, smashing three sixes in his innings of 26 runs from 10 balls.
Dambulla Giants could muster only 110 off 19.3 overs as Wanindu Hasaranga picked up figures of 3 for 16 and Maheesh Theekshana picked up figures of 3 for 22.
Opening batsman Avishka Fernando set the tempo for Jaffna Kings with a 27-ball 33 innings. He strung a second-wicket partnership of 63 with Kohler-Cadmore. Maheesh Theekshana was adjudged the Player of the match.
The Jaffna Kings had made a forgettable start to the tournament, after they lost to the Galle Gladiators in the opening clash of the tournament by 54 runs, before making a strong comeback on Tuesday.
Continuing his rich vein of from the Abu Dhabi T10 League, Gladiators’ skipper Rajapaksa struck a 31-ball 56 alongside the all-round Samit Patel show who scored 42 before scalping three wickets to ensure the Kings were tumbled out for 110 in response to their 164/7.
Dambulla Giants, meanwhile, made a positive start to their campaign, winning against Kandy Warriors by 20 runs after setting them a 190-run target on the back of Phil Salt’s sensational 27-ball 67, including five sixes.
The right-hander set the tone in a pulsating 97-run partnership for the first wicket off 46 balls with Niroshan Dickwella (39). The six power play overs realised 74 with Salt contributing 39 and Dickwella scoring 30. What would have been a magical three-figure opening partnership was broken when Dickwella was caught trying to hit over mid-on by Angelo Perera off Lahiru Kumara. He hit five fours and a six.
Dambulla Giants ran up 190 for 7 and had a tight rein over Kandy Warriors. Rovman Powell’s 42 off 21 with four sixes and a boundary, Sachindu Colombage’s 27 not out and Ishan Jayaratne’s 18 weren’t enough, with Nuwan Pradeep and Ramesh Mendis bagging six wickets between them to restrict the Warriors to 170/8.
-Agencies
