Kohler-Cadmore sets RPS alight as Jaffna Kings continue their dominance

Player of the Match Jaffna Kings’ Tom Kohler-Cadmore was in awesome form, making the highest score of the tournament with a dazzling 92 off 55 balls

Formidable Jaffna Kings continued their awesome run in the ongoing Lanka Premier League by handing out a right royal thrashing to a rather hapless Colombo Stars by 102 runs in the first double-header of the day played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday.

Winning the toss and batting first Jaffna came up with a thoroughly professional performance racing to a daunting total of 193-5 and then dismissed Colombo for a paltry 91 off 15.5 overs in a totally one-sided game. The winning margin for Jaffna was the highest in the history of LPL by way of runs.

Colombo’s poor total had a massive effect on their net run rate which dropped from -0.384 at the start of the match to -1.087, and their loss has simply opened the doors for Kandy Warriors.

The stage for Jaffna’s comprehensive win was set by their openers Tom Kohler-Cadmore promoted to open the innings and Upul Tharanga. They figured in the highest partnership of the current tournament by putting together 110 off 70 balls.

Kohler-Cadmore was at his brilliant best and was merciless as he pummelled the Colombo bowling to all parts of the ground hitting eight sixes and five fours in making the highest individual score of the tournament – 92 off 55 balls, surpassing Angelo Mathews’ 73 for Colombo against Galle Gladiators. Kohler-Cadmore timing the ball with excellence raced to his first half-century of the tournament off 32 balls with his fifth six and celebrated it with his sixth six off the next delivery taking 20 runs off an Ashan Priyanjan over. Tharanga who made 37 off 33 balls was made to look a mere spectator at the other end by Kohler-Cadmore’s brilliant exhibition of batting that won him the Player of the Match award.

Colombo came back to capture four wickets for 20 runs following the dismissals of the two openers, but too much damage had been done then to stop them from putting up a formidable total. Naveed-ul-Haq was one of the few bowlers who escaped punishment finishing with 3 for 27, as the rest of the bowlers took a pounding.

Colombo missed the services of all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna (injured) who got them over the line with his heroics with the bat against Kandy Warriors the other day. But the way they batted yesterday even Prasanna would have found it difficult to turn the match in Colombo’s favour.

They have been tinkering too much with their batting with the opening batsmen batting in the middle and vice-versa which goes to show that they don’t have a settled batting order.

Tom Banton who has excelled in T20 cricket as an opener has not been able to produce his best after he was dropped down the order and yesterday his 30 off 33 balls represented the highest score of Colombo’s paltry total.

The most successful bowlers for Jaffna were three youngsters, West Indian pacie Jaden Seales who took 4 for 13 on a surface not conducive to fast bowling, Maheesh Theekshana (2/25) and Vijayakanth Vijaskanth (3/32), the 20-year-old leg-spinner from Central College, Jaffna playing his first match of this year’s tournament. – (ST)

Scores:

Jaffna Kings 193-5 (20) (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 92, Upul Tharanga 37, Naveen-ul-Haq 3/27)

Colombo Stars 91 (15.5) (Tom Banton 30, Maheesh Theekshana 2/25, Jayden Seales 4/13, Vijayakanth Vijaskanth 3/32)

Jayden Seales’ (4/13) pace was too much for Colombo Stars

Vijayakanth Vijaskanth playing his first match of the season took three wickets