Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday Sep 20, 2024
Thursday, 3 August 2023 02:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (Jaffna Kings)
Dasun Shanaka (Galle Titans)
Babar Azam (Colombo Strikers)
Avishka Fernando (Dambulla Aura)
Tim Seifert (Galle Titans)
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Galle Titans led by national white ball captain Dasun Shanaka has taken an early lead in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) fourth edition winning both their matches of the first phase to lead the standings with four points.
Galle are the only unbeaten side with second, third and fourth placed Dambulla Aura, Colombo Strikers and defending champions Jaffna Kings all sitting on two points with one win and one loss apiece in the matches played in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.
As for the fifth team in the competition B-Love Kandy led by Sri Lanka’s ace white ball spinner Wanindu Hasaranga they are the only side without a win and with no points on the board against their name. They have lost both their matches to Colombo Strikers and Galle Titans batting second, being unsuccessful with the toss on both occasions. They have two former international captains in their midst as mentors India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and Pakistan’s Javed Miandad and former Sri Lanka spinner and national team spin bowling coach Piyal Wijetunge as their head coach to turn things around in the second phase.
Although it is still early days in the competition there is nothing like grabbing the points that come your way never knowing what is in store for you in front. In that aspect Galle have been good in all facets of the game. One must say that they were rather fortunate to win their opening match against Dambulla Aura in a Super Over after both teams had tied on 180, and then simply swept aside B-Love Kandy in their second game with a thoroughly professional performance bowling their opponents out for 97 to win by 83 runs. In both matches Galle ran up identical totals 180-5 and defended it very well. Former Sri Lanka white ball captain Chamara Kapugedera is their head coach.
Jaffna began strongly winning the curtain-raiser match against last year’s finalists Colombo by 21 runs, but fell into a rut in their second game against Dambulla where their batting became unstuck managing just 129-7, a total which was easy pickings for their opponents. But Jaffna who is captained by another former Sri Lanka white ball skipper Thisara Perera and coached by former Sri Lanka cricketer Thilina Kandamby are a dangerous side when they lose. They have this habit of getting things right in the next game as well as for the rest of the tournament. That’s how they operate and that’s how they have won the title three-in-a-row.
What gives Dambulla an advantage over the rest of the sides is that their top five batsmen are current Sri Lanka players – Avishka Fernando, skipper Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Perera and Dhananjaya de Silva who know the conditions and the pitches very well. They were quite unlucky in their opening fixture with ended in a tie against Galle and was eventually decided on the Super Over which they lost. Former Sri Lanka cricketer and present Sri Lanka A team coach Avishka Gunawardene is handling the side. He is one of the few coaches who’s had a lot of success with the A team as well as the Under19 sides.
Test discard Niroshan Dickwella gets an opportunity to press his claims for a recall to the white ball sides leading Colombo Strikers. What Dickwella needs is consistency in his performances. He began the tournament well with a half-century but was out cheaply in the second. With Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as his opening partner Dickwella should learn a thing or two from this top international star on how to construct an innings in T20 cricket instead of going hammer and tongs from the very first ball, and throwing away his wicket. Colombo have a strong and experienced coaching staff to put them through their paces. Highly experienced Australian coach Simon Helmut is their head coach. Working alongside Helmut are Sri Lanka Cricket’s chief operating officer Jerome Jayaratne as assistant coach and Chaminda Vaas, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all-time with over 750 wickets in international cricket.
With the first phase of matches completed the LPL moves to the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy for the second phase of eight matches commencing Friday.
LPL FIXTURES AT PALLEKELE
