Fastest LPL hundred takes beating as Rossouw reaches it in 44 balls

Rilee Roussow of Jaffna Kings broke the record for fastest LPL hundred reaching it off 44 balls 

A week after Kusal Perera had scored the fastest hundred in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) off 50 balls for Dambulla Strikers, South African top order batter Rilee Roussow has outpaced him by getting to it six balls quicker off 44 for Jaffna Kings in their match against Colombo Strikers at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Roussow’s scintillating century saw Jaffna beat Colombo by seven wickets in the first double header of the day. Perera performed the feat for Dambulla against Jaffna at Pallekele, but yet finished on the losing side. Rossouw’s knock was the first hundred in a winning chase of the current LPL. The fifth edition of the LPL had produced three centuries before yesterday and all of them had ended in a losing cause.

It was the partnership of 120 off 64 balls between Player of the Match Rossouw’s superb 108* off (12 fours, 6 sixes) and Avishka Fernando (58 off 35 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes) for the third wicket that blew Colombo away despite making a good start with the ball in the power play. It was Colombo’s poor fielding that saw them allow Jaffna to get away. Wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dropped Rossouw twice at 39 and 76 and Fernando at one and they made Colombo pay for it dearly.

To begin with, Colombo should have got a lot more on the board after being 138-2 in 13 overs. Although 188-8 was not a bad total, on a flat track it seemed 200 would have been a par score. Colombo were motoring along smoothly at 120-1 when Angelo Perera was forced to retire hurt concussed having earlier been hit on the visor by a short ball from Asitha Fernando. From that point onwards Colombo lost the plot as wickets started to tumble like nine pins. Five wickets went down for 29. Their final score of 188-8 could have been even lesser had it not been for some late order runs from Dunith Wellalage (13) and Taskin Ahmed (15*) adding 24 in 14 balls. 

Earlier, Gurbaz started off with three sixes in the first over. When he fell for 27 Glenn Phillips (58 off 32 balls, 6 fours, 3 sixes) took charge and with Angelo Perera forged an 86-run liaison to take Colombo into a strong position. But soon after Perera went off, Jaffna made a comeback. Phillips fell and so did Thisara Perera for a streaky 13. Fabian Allen was the pick of the Kings’ bowling, well supported by Azmatullah Omarzai. – (ST)

Scores: Colombo Stars 188-8 (20) (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 27, Angelo Perera rtd ht 34, Glenn Phillips 58, Azmatullah Omarzai 2/31, Asitha Fernando 2/38)

Jaffna Kings 190-3 (18.3) (Rilee Roussow 108*, Avishka Fernando 58)