Cricket

Lanka Premier League 2021

It was a Deja Vu feeling for both teams as Thisara Perera-led Jaffna Kings once again win the Lanka Premier League (LPL) title again beating the Galle Gladiators. In the end, it turned out to be a one-sided affair as Gladiators fell short of the target by 23 runs after a mini-collapse in the death overs derailed their run chase.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sensational hitting from KingsPerera won the toss and elected to bat first at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota. Jaffna got off to a flier with openers Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz firing on all cylinders. Gurbaz got out in the sixth over but not before a 35-run cameo off 18 deliveries including three fours and three sixes. Experienced campaigner Samit Patel provided the first breakthrough.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite Gurbaz’s wicket, the scoring rate did not go down as in-form Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined Fernando in the middle. Fernando went on to score 63 runs from 41 deliveries. He got out in the 13th over to Nuwan Thushara. His inning included eight fours and two sixes. The two shared a 63-run partnership for the second wicket.&nbsp;&nbsp;While the Englishman was taking Galle bowlers to the cleaners, Shoaib Malik joined him in the middle. Malik contributed with a useful 11-ball 23. His cameo came to an end in the penultimate over with his countryman Mohammad Amir taking his wicket. Kohler-Cadmore remained not out for 57 off 41 deliveries. His inning was laced with two fours and three sixes. In the last over, Perera helped his side finish with a flourish by hitting two sixes and one four off Dhanjaya Lakshan. The 19-run last over helped Jaffna post a daunting total of 201/3, the third-highest total of the season.&nbsp;&nbsp;Galle’s good start, poor finishChasing 202, Danushka Gunathilaka kep the game alive his quickfire 54. Gunathilaka took most of the strike till the time he was at the crease. He faced just 21 deliveries to score 54. The southpaw went ballistic with the field restrictions on and hit seven fours and three sixes during his short yet entertaining stay at the crease. With his wicket on the second ball of the fifth over, Perera breathed a sigh of relief. Wanindu Hasaranga provided the much-needed breakthrough. He followed it up with the wicket of Australian wicketkeeper-batter Ben Dunk off the very next delivery.&nbsp;Opener Kusal Mendis tried to play the role of an anchor but did not get much support from the other end as wickets kept falling. Experienced Pakistan batter Mohammad Hafeez failed to stay long at the crease whereas skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa struggled for boundary. In the 16th over, Mendis’ patience also ran out and he lost his wicket. With required run rate getting out of hand, Galle’s lower order batters and tailenders failed to put up a fight and could post 178/9 in stipulated 20 overs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Last year, Jaffna Kings (then Jaffna Stallians) had beaten Galle Gladiators in a similar fashion. Chasing 189, Rajapaksa’s side crumbled and could manage to score only 135/9 in reply.&nbsp;

lanka-premier-league-5-dec-2021

Thisara Perera’s Jaffna Kings win Lanka Premier League again beating same opponents

The No.1 T20I bowler and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 recruit Wanindu Hasaranga’s older brother Chaturunga de Silva bowled a rampaging spell in the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL). The left-arm spinner took four wickets for 16 runs and wrecked Dambulla Giants’ middle order to bundle them out for a mere 69 in 14.1 overs.&nbsp;&nbsp;Wicket in each overIntroduced in the last over of the powerplay overs, Chaturunga troubled and already struggling Giants. His first wicket was skipper Dasun Shanaka as the latter failed to pick the one that skidded into the stumps. The first wicket came without even conceding a single run. In the next over, he got the wicket of Ramesh Mendis to prevent Giants from making any sort of comeback. Ramesh was trapped in front of the stumps by the southpaw.&nbsp; He got another wicket off the first ball of his third over getting Chamika Karunaratne out for a duck. He was brought back to bowl by Jaffna Kings skipper Thisara Perera in the 13th over and once again he delivered with a wicket, this time Tharindu Ratnayake. The fourth wicket prevented Giants from posting any sort of respectable total. The spinner did get hit for two boundaries in the final over by tailender Imran Tahir.&nbsp; Younger brother performs tooOn the other end, his brother Wanindu impressed with his leg spin as well. He made almost identical bowling figures barring the wickets section. However, his only wicket was destructive in-form opener Philip Salt.&nbsp; The younger brother and all-rounder contributed with the bat as well. Promoted to no.3, he contributed with an 18-ball 37 including five fours and two sixes. He was at his destructive best against Ranayake in the fourth over hitting him for three fours and one six. Lowest totalGiants also hit a new low as they registered lowest total ever in the league’s history. This was also the first time, a team failed to get past three figures. The previous lowest total belonged to Kandy Warriors when they were bundled out for 105 in the previous edition by Colombo Stars.&nbsp;

Kohli’s Sri Lankan recruit’s older brother’s menacing spell bundles out Dambulla Giants for 69 

Thisara Perera-led Jaffna Kings have been in brilliant form in the second season of Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021. Kings registered their sixth win in seven matches this season by a record margin against Colombo Stars. Stars were bundled out for 91 as Kings won the match by 102 runs, which is the highest margin of victory in LPL history. &nbsp;&nbsp;Cadmore’s dominant knockEnglish batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore proved his mettle in yet another league with a 92-run knock while opening the innings for Kings. He hit five fours and eight sixes in his 55-ball 92 with a strike rate of 167.27. Cadmore missed his maiden century in the league as he was dismissed off the first ball of the 17th over by Naveen-ul-Haq.&nbsp;&nbsp;The eight sixes Cadmore hit is the most by a batter in LPL breaking Avishka Fernando’s record of seven sixes in last season. It is also the joint fourth-highest individual score by a batter in the league. This is second time Cadmore has missed out on a century. Earlier this month, he broke Chris Lynn’s record of highest individual score with 96-run knock in T10 league.&nbsp;&nbsp;He shared a 110-run opening partnership with Upul Tharanga. The wicketkeeper batter scored 37 runs from 33 runs. He continued hitting big in the middle overs. After his wicket, Wanindu Hasaranga’s 7-ball 19 came helped the side post 193/5, the third highest total this season.&nbsp;Searles wrecks run chase&nbsp;Chasing 194, Colombo kept losing wickets and could only post 91 runs on the board before they were bundled out in the 16th over. England batter Tom Banton was the highest run-scorer with 30 runs from 33 deliveries. Jayden Searles took four wickets for 13 runs in just 2.5 overs. The Caribbean pacer also bowled a maiden over in his spell. Searles’ 4/13 is the second-best bowling figures in the league. Only Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has taken a fifer. &nbsp;&nbsp;Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Maheesh Theekshana also took three and two wickets respectively to bundle out Stars for their lowest ever total. This is also the second time a team has been all out below 100 in LPL. Earlier Dambulla Giants were dismissed for 69 in 14.1 overs by Jaffna Kings.&nbsp;

English batter's record 92-run knock helps Thisara Perera's team to largest win in LPL 

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