Dambulla Giants cut down to size by Jaffna Kings

Player of the match Maheesh Theekshana (right) of Jaffna Kings is congratulated by Jayden Seales after capturing a wicket

Jaffna Kings pair Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Avishka Fernando during their partnership of 63

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Defending champions Jaffna Kings got their act together following their defeat in the tournament opener to Galle Gladiators, to crush Dambulla Giants by eight wickets in the first double header of the Lanka Premier League

Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the Jaffna Kings bowlers with figures of 3/16

played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Jaffna was behind on the net run rate after their first game and the way they got about chasing down Dambulla’s paltry total of 110, certainly improved it tremendously from -2.700 to +0.042 - racing to their target of 111 off just 12.3 overs.

It was the Jaffna bowlers who set up the win followed by a ruthless batting performance by Avishka Fernando, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik.

Sri Lanka’s T20I bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana who won the Player of the Match award were at their best sharing six wickets between them and were well supported by the seamers Suranga Lakmal and West Indian Jayden Seales who took the remaining four.

Hasaranga continuing his golden form took 3 for 16 in the death overs and didn’t concede a single boundary off his 4 overs and along with his Sri Lanka T20I team mate Theekshana (3/22) caused ripples in the Dambulla batting who only the other day had hit the highest total of the tournament 190-7 against Kandy Warriors. 

So disciplined was the Jaffna bowling that they bowled 58 dot balls. It was poor batting by Dambulla that contributed to their downfall on a good batting surface as was proved by the Jaffna batsmen.

Fernando and Kohler-Cadmore who holds the highest score in T10 cricket with 96 off 39 balls for Deccan Gladiators in the recently concluded Abu Dhabi tournament, put the game out of Dambulla’s reach with a second wicket partnership of 63 off seven overs.

Kohler-Cadmore, the powerful right-hander who plays for Yorkshire batted brilliantly hitting two sixes and five fours in his 30-ball 45*. Fernando found his touch and raced to 33 off 27 balls inclusive of three sixes, and following his dismissal Shoaib Malik playing his first game of the tournament stamped his class by hitting Nuwan Pradeep for three sixes off an over to level the scores. Some sloppy wicket-keeping from Niroshan Dickwella saw Jaffna reaching the winning target off four byes.     

Scores

Dambulla Giants 110 (19.3) (Nuwanidu Fernando 23, Maheesh Theekshana 3/22, Suranga Lakmal 2/28, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/16, Jayden Seales 2/23)

Jaffna Kings 114-2 (12.3) (Avishka Fernando 33, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 45*, Shoaib Malik 26*)