Super Shinwari shuts down Gladiators

A devastating cameo from Samiullah Shinwari took a near-certain victory away from the Galle Gladiators, as the Dambulla Viiking registered their fifth win of the My11Circle Lanka Premier League 2020 in Sooriyawewa last night. 

Having set a target of 169, up until the 15th over of the chase, the Gladiators had done remarkably well in stifling the Viiking batsmen. Dhananjaya Lakshan and Lakshan Sandakan, in particular, had played a major role in this; Lakshan first dismissing Niroshan Dickwella for 30 and then Dasun Shanaka for just nine, on his way to figures of 2 for 33, while Sandakan dismissed the in-form Angelo Perera, who had looked in very good nick during his 31-ball 45.

But Lakshan would eventually become the villain, dropping Shinwari at long-on in the final over when the Viiking still needed seven runs to win. Shinwari would eventually score the winning runs off the final ball of the game, a six behind square leg, as he finished unbeaten on 46 off just 20 deliveries.

Shortly after Shinwari arrived at the crease the Viiking were a long way off victory, struggling at 110/5 at the end of the 15th over. But Shinwari’s fireworks saw 68 runs ransacked off the final five overs, to break the Gladiators.

Earlier, the Gladiators had failed to capitalise on the blistering start provided by Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, as 73 runs from the powerplay period was followed up by just 94 runs from the remaining 14 overs in the innings.

When Gunathilaka and Rajapaksa, who put on a 50-run partnership off just 29 deliveries, were going strong, a score of 200-plus looked very much on the cards, but as is becoming a theme in the LPL 2020, spinners once again played a key role in throttling the scoring rate.

The Viiking trio of Ramesh Mendis, Samit Patel and Paul Stirling conceded just 62 runs in nine overs between them, with Mendis the most impressive of the lot. Not only did he pick up the wicket of Rajapaksa to break what was starting to look an extremely threatening stand, but he then trapped Azam Khan LBW the very next ball to completely halt the Gladiators’ momentum. Mendis would end on figures of 2 for 28 from his four overs.

It was Viiking Captain Dasun Shanaka though that would pick up the critical wicket of Gunathilaka, the tournament’s top scorer nicking one through to the keeper for another well-made 31-ball 46. At that point the Gladiators were on 90/4 midway through the 10th over – that they scored just 78 runs from that point on illustrates how important Gunathilaka has been to the Gladiators’ batting.

Shortly after losing Gunathilaka, the Gladiators lost Chadwick Walton to a hamstring injury, and things were quickly going south. The innings only sputtered back to life thanks to Shehan Jayasuriya’s 27-ball 39, inclusive of four 4s and a six, as he put on successive partnerships of 18 and 26 with Sahan Arachchige and Dhananjaya Lakshan respectively. Jayasuriya though would fall before the end, splicing a Kasun Rajitha slower to the grateful hands of Shinwari at long-on.

Lakshan, who had contributed just three runs in his partnership with Jayasuriya, would take over the scoring burden and his 18-ball 23, inclusive of a six and a four each, would take the Gladiators to 168/7 – a score that would have been enough if not for Shinwari’s heroics. The result means that the Viiking now top the table, while the Gladiators will need to beat the Kandy Tuskers in their final game of the group stage later today, and manage to better the Tuskers’ net run rate as well, if they are to make it to the semifinals. (MB)