Kusal Perera’s fastest LPL century in vain as Jaffna out bat Dambulla

Kusal Perera celebrates his century off 50 balls for Dambulla Sixers – the fastest in LPL history

Jaffna Kings pair Charith Asalanka and Avishka Fernando during their match-winning partnership of 134 off 11 overs 

It was a long time coming and when it eventually came, the sigh of relief on Kusal Perera’s face told it all as he smashed his way to the fastest 100 in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) off 50 balls, but his effort proved in vain as Jaffna Kings put up a much stronger display of batting to win the contest off the last ball by four wickets to secure their first win of the 2024 tournament at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium yesterday.

In fact, at the halfway mark Jaffna were in no position to win at 78-3, and the asking rate hovering above 12 an over. But a magnificent 134 runs partnership off 11 overs between Avishka Fernando and Skipper Charith Asalanka sliced the required rate by half and despite Dambulla stretching the game till the last ball, Jaffna with wickets in hand got over the line with Fabian Allen ending the match with a six.

Fernando pushed down in the batting to number four and Asalanka turned the game around in Jaffna’s favour with some extraordinary hitting. Fernando who took the Player of the Match award raced away to 80 off 34 balls (7 fours, 6 sixes) and Asalanka hit spinner Nimesh Vimukthi for four consecutive sixes in an over in his 36-ball 50 as they smacked the Dambulla bowlers to the tune of 79 off four overs, which literally saw fortunes swing Jaffna’s way.

Kusal Perera has not been in the best of form his last six innings for Police SC being 13, 13, 2, 8 and 9 and a fourth ball duck in his first game for Dambulla Sixers. But yesterday he proved a class act. After getting his eye in and finding his touch, he started picking the gaps with ease excelling in the pull shot, reverse sweep, cuts and shots square of the wicket that saw him hit 10 fours and 5 sixes contributing 102* off 52 balls to Dambulla’s demanding total of 191-2. His century was the fifth in LPL history and the second by a Sri Lankan after Avishka Fernando’s 100 for Jaffna Kings against Dambulla Giants in 2021.

Perera was involved in two profitable partnerships – 108 off 63 balls with Nuwanidu Fernando (40 off 35 balls) and 65* off 38 balls with Mark Chapman (33* off 23). With Perera in full flow Dambulla looked headed for a total over 200, but they lost some momentum towards the latter stages with Jaffna pulling back in the last four overs conceding 36 runs with the final over going for only five runs. – (ST)

Scores: Dambulla Sixers 191-2 (20) (Kusal Perera 102*, Nuwanidu Fernando 40, Mark Chapman 33*, Dhananjaya de Silva 2/25)

Jaffna Kings 197-6 (20) (Pathum Nissanka 27, Avishka Fernando 80, Charith Asalanka 50, Nuwan Thushara 2/34, Mustafizur Rahman 2/30)