Jaffna continue to be Kings of LPL

Champions of the LPL for the second consecutive year Jaffna Kings celebrate their win 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Jaffna Kings made a statement that when it comes to the crunch game there is no better team than 

them when they retained the Lanka Premier League title for the second consecutive year by defeating Galle Gladiators by 23 runs in the final played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota yesterday in front of a large and appreciative crowd who lapped up every ball of a pulsating run chase.

What made the difference between the two sides was the fielding. Whereas Galle fumbled and dropped crucial catches, Jaffna was outstanding, affecting two run outs, one of them the key wicket of Kusal Mendis for 39 when a lot depended on him to see Galle over the line.

Jaffna overcame the psychological disadvantage of losing their last three contests to Galle, by winning the toss for the first time against them and posting a formidable total, racing to 201/3. Galle got off to an incredible start, sprinting to 63/0 off 4.1 overs with Danushka Gunathilaka on fire, racing to 19-ball fifty and putting on 63 off 4.2 overs for the first wicket with Kusal Mendis to give Galle the perfect platform to chase down Jaffna’s daunting total.

But the introduction of Sri Lanka’s champion white-ball leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga into the attack saw the game change its course. In one over, he got the prize wicket of Gunathilaka for 54, scored off 21 balls (three sixes, seven fours), and was on a hat-trick when he sent back Ben Dunk for a duck off his next ball. Kusal Mendis denied Hasaranga the hat-trick, whilst Mohammed Hafeez could not make much of an impression when he was run out for 14. However, the defining moment of the game was the dismissal of the dangerous Galle captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa for 14 when he was caught on the boundary line by Hasaranga off Maheesh Theekshana for whom it was just reward after coming for some rough treatment at the hands of Gunathilaka.

The onus fell on Mendis to carry Galle home, but some excellent fielding by Jaffna curtailed his innings at 39, and with it the wheels fell off the run chase as Galle let themselves down in the middle phase and Jaffna took complete control of the match.

Player of the Final and of the Series Avishka Fernando was brilliant once again, continuing his form from the last game when he scored a century, to follow it up with another fine knock of 63 off 41 balls (two sixes, eight fours). With Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributing a quickfire 35 off 18 balls, Jaffna put together their highest opening partnership against Galle – 56 off 5.1 overs. Consistent batting down the line by Jaffna with Tom Kohler-Cadmore contributing with a powerful 57* off 41 balls (three sixes, two fours), Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera left Galle chasing a massive target.        

Result:

Jaffna Kings 201/3 (20) (Avishka Fernando 63, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 35, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 57*, Shoaib Malik 23) beat Galle Gladiators 178/9 (20) (Kusal Mendis 39, Dhanuska Gunathilaka 54, Samit Patel 22, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/30, Chaturanga de Silva 2/15) by 23 runs.

Player of the Final and of the Series Avishka Fernando continued his good form for Jaffna Kings with an attractive half-century

Tom Kohler-Cadmore contributed a crucial half-century to the Kings’ cause 

Danushka Gunathilaka got Galle Gladiators innings off to a flier with a 21-ball fifty