Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
Wednesday Dec 25, 2024
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Kamindu Mendis and Pathum Nissanka added 61 off 43 balls for Kandy Falcons
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Jaffna Kings leg-spinner Vijayakanth Vijaskanth exults after taking a wicket
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Defending champions Jaffna Kings advanced to the Lanka Premier League final for the third successive time when they beat Kandy Falcons by 24 runs under the DLS system after rain cut short their run chase in the Qualifier 1 match played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.
Chasing 144, Jaffna assisted by some wayward bowling by the Kandy seamers who conceded 19 runs through 11 wides, were on course towards overhauling that target reaching 98-3 off 11 overs when the heavens opened out for the second time during their run chase and put an end to the match.
The DLS par score at the end of 11 overs was 74, and Jaffna were well ahead of it at the stoppage. At the first interruption, Jaffna were 63-3 off 5.1 overs, and even at that stage they were well ahead of the DLS par score which was 47.
The win meant that Jaffna went straight into the final tomorrow. Kandy on the other hand will have to play the winner of the eliminator today in Qualifier 2.
After two back-to-back defeats at the hands of Kandy in the league stage, Jaffna continued with their knack of winning matches when it was most required. Last year they lost thrice to finalist Galle Gladiators, but won the most important game, the final.
Kandy opting to bat first lost Andre Fletcher early in the innings, but recovered through a second wicket stand of 61 off 43 balls between Pathum Nissanka (35) and Kamindu Mendis (26) and seemed to be in control. But both batsmen perished playing attacking strokes against young leg-spinner Vijayakanth Vijaskanth who also accounted for the key wicket of Ashen Bandara for 13 to end with figures of 3 for 30 and take the Player of the Match award. For this game Jaffna seemed to have done their homework well on Kandy, and bowled tight lines and lengths denying them of any loose deliveries to score off. As a result, none of the Kandy batsmen who got themselves in went on to make a big score, which reflected on their final total of 143-9. Spinners Vijaskanth and Maheesh Theekshana kept the batsmen on a tight leash picking up wickets regularly, with excellent support from tall seamer Binura Fernando who’s four overs cost only 23 runs for one wicket.
Jaffna openers started briskly, and were able to maintain a healthy run rate of well over 10 runs an over with 71 coming off the first power play, so that when the final interruption came, they were very much home and dry. (ST)
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