Lanka Premier League 2021 News

The Jaffna Kings thrashed their way to xx runs inside the powerplay against team-to-beat Galle Gladiators in the final of Lanka Premier League on Thursday, 23 December. In a repeat of last edition’s final, Kings’ after winning the toss chose to bat first. With some luck in their favour, both openers - Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz punished the pace bowlers for bowling wayward lengths. It’s not like the bowlers did not bowl good deliveries, but the edges seemed to fly by the keeper. Some really shoddy display in the field added to the misery of the Gladiators as Jaffna raked up 56 runs in the first five overs. The final over of the powerplay saw the first spinner in action and resulted in a wicket straightaway as Gurbaz looked to take on former England international Samit Patel. In an attempt to clear long on, Gurbaz failed to time the ball properly was was caught by Kusal Mendis. At the end of the powerplay Kings were bating on 61 for the loss of 1 wicket.

The Lanka Premier League after its 18 days and 23 matches of enthralling cricket has now reached its climax with one summit clash to decide the champions of the second season of the premier T20 tournament of Sri Lanka. Incidentally, the final of this season will also be contested between the same teams which contested the final last season. The teams from Galle and Jaffna would be once again pitched up against each other for the final honours. In the playoffs, while Galle beat Jaffna in Qualifier 1 to get directly to the fina, the team from North Sri Lanka had to get past Dmabulla Giants in the second qualifier to make its place in the final after losing the first qualifier. Galle Gladiators vs Jaffna Kings: Match Details Match Number- Final Date and Time: December 23rd, 2021, 07:30 pm IST Venue: Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota Sri Lanka Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV Pitch Report As has been seen throughout the Playoffs, the pitches at the stadium have been true especially in the last game, the ball was coming onto the bat very nicely. So it is expected to remain true and help in getting a high scoring finale. Weather Forecast The weather will remain cloudy throughout the evening with maybe a few passing showers expected. Hence the game might not be disturbed as much, but it will surely prompt the team winning the toss to field first. Probable XI Galle Gladiators Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis(w), Mohammad Hafeez, Bhanuka Rajapaksa(c), Samit Patel, Sahan Arachchige, Isuru Udana, Anwar Ali, Pulina Tharanga, Mohammad Amir, Nuwan Thushara Jaffna Kings Avishka Fernando, Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Ashan Randika, Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chaturanga de Silva, Jayden Seales, Suranga Lakmal, Maheesh Theekshana, CE XI Fantasy team Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis(w), Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa(c), Samit Patel, Shoaib Malik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chaturanga de Silva, Mohammad Amir, Jayden Seales, Maheesh Theekshana

After a hiccup in the first qualifier against Galle Gladiators, the Jaffna Kings who had been in some good form in the ongoing Lankan Premier League 2021, were back on track with a win against Dambulla Giants in the second qualifier and registered a place in the final of the tournament. Batting first, the Kings rode on an exceptional first-wicket stand of 122 runs between Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to lay a foundation for a big total. Gurbaz eventually departed for 70 off 40 but Fernando went on to notch up a ton before he was out on 100 off 64 deliveries. It was a phenomenal knock that included four maximums and 10 fours. The Jaffna Kings posted 210/4 in 20 overs. Later, Giants’ batting order failed to put up a fight and barring Chamika Karunaratne, no other batter really got into the groove, failing to make a significant contribution. Karunaratne was the lone warrior after he remained unbeaten on a 47-ball 75. Jayden Seales and Maheesh Theekshana didn’t really let the Dambulla batters take an upper hand. While Seales returned with figures of 3/24 in 4 overs, Theekshana had a couple to his name for 23 runs in 4 overs. Thisara Perera expressed delight at the win and lauded the batters for their efforts. “I am really happy today with the way our batters batted. There was pressure after losing the first playoff. As a unit, everything was done really well. The final is just another match. My boys did a really good job today and hope they can do well in the finals,” he said after the match. Jaffna Kings will now lock horns with Galle Gladiators in the final on Thursday (December 23, 2021) in Hambantota.

Galle Gladiators marched into the final of Lanka Premier League after beating Jaffna Kings by 64 runs in Hambantota on Sunday. Chasing 189 in 20 overs, the Kings were bundled out for 124 in the 17th over as Nuwan Thusara rattled their batting line up with a fifer. He returned with figures of 5/13 in 3.5 overs eventually. The Jaffna side didn’t have a good start to the chase as they lost early wickets and were left struggling at 85/5. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Wanindu Hasaranga were the only two batters to get to the double-figure mark. Gurbaz top-scored with a fifty while Hasaranga scored 29 off 15. But their efforts weren’t enough to take the side over the line. Earlier, in the day, the Gladiators rode on some fine show from the batters to post 188/5 in 20 overs. Kusal Mendis and Gunathilaka put up an opening stand of 121 runs on the board before the latter departed for 55 off 42. Mendis on the otters side , notched up a 53-ball 85 during the course. Skipper B Rajapaksa’s late surge also pushed the scoring rate as he struck 25 in 15 deliveries that included three maximums. Rajpaksa lauded the batsmen for putting up a good total on the board. “The batters showed the class they have and the pitch is really good here. Our team is very well balanced and I don't want to change much. Beating the defending champions feels good, credit must go to the bowlers and Kusal and Danushka batted really well,” he said after the match. Jaffna Kings will now face Dambulla Giants on Tuesday in the Eliminator in Hambantota.

It was shrewd batting by Janith Liyanage as he slowly and steadily helped his team Dambulla Giants chase down a relatively low but tricky target of 146 to get past Colombo Stars in the Eliminator of the Lanka Premier League 2021. Liyanage, not a famous name even in Lankan cricketing circuit wore down the bowlers in his innings of unbeaten 56 off just 47 balls as it included only five fours and no sixes, but he hardly played a few dot balls, making sure that no bowler was able to bowl to him constantly and get to his shortcomings. The partnership that the 26-year-old developed with Afghan import Najibullah Zadran also played an instrumental role in achieving the target. When Zadran paired up with Liyanage, the Giants were 68-3 in the 9th over and Phil Salt, their best batter in the tournament so far had just departed. Thus at that stage, the game was wide open and could have gone either way if not for the 61 runs partnership between the Liyanage and Zadran duo. While Zadran was eventually removed for 34, the right-handed Liyanage stayed at the crease and went back only after carrying his team over the line in the 19th over. Prior to his stand with Zadran, Liyanage had also shared a 48 run stand for the third wicket with Salt after Stars were reduced to 20-2 with Niroshan Dickwella and Sandun Weerakkody departing early. Earlier in the afternoon, after winning the toss and deciding to bat first at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota, the Colombo team lacked any sort of planning. Dinesh Chandimal, who was the leading run-scorer of the tournament until the start of this game was sent in at number seven in a logic-defying move. He was sent even after a bowling all-rounder Seekkuge Prasanna. Naturally, Chandimal, who was the leading contributor in all the four wins for the Stars in the league, could only face two balls even by the time the 20th over began and got out on the third ball, trying to up the ante right from the word go. Angelo Mathews top-scored for the Stars with an unbeaten 50 off 34 balls while Pathum Nisannka made 42 off 39 balls. Giants, who won this game, would now face the loser of the first Qualifier match between the Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Kings to get a birth in the final of the league.

Jeffrey Vandersay was on cloud nine today as he not only won his team a crucial match with his fantastic bowling to get them through to the Playoff of the Lanka premier League 2021 but also achieved his career-best figures in T20 cricket. The figures of 6-25 from the leg-break bowler are not only his first five-wicket haul in the shortest format, but they are also now the best figures in the two-season long history of the premier T20 league of Sri Lanka. He got past Pakistan Mohammad Amir’s figures of 5/21 which he had achieved in the last season. The leg spinner was introduced in the very first over of the innings by Colombo Stars skipper Dhananjaya de Silva as he wanted to take wickets to defend the total of 182. Though not in the first over, but in his second and the team’s third over, Vandersay fetched his skipper, not one but two wickets. Strangely though he was removed from the attack and this was the same time that Kandy Warriors batters Charith Asalanka and Ravi Bopara started building a partnership. It was only in the ninth over that Vandersay was reintroduced. And right in that very, the leggie did the trick and broke the 54 run stand by removing Asalanka. Once the stand was broken, the Warriors just couldn’t get back on track thereafter. Seekkuge Prasanna then removed two players in the 11th over and the Warriors were reduced to 95/5. Another 30 run stand developed between Kamindu Mendis and Asela Gunaratne to push the Warriors to 122 in 15 overs. Just as it seemed that a match was developing out of this, Naveen-ul-Haq, the Afghan import for the Stars struck in the 16th over and removed Gunaratne. N Vimukthi also got run out in that very over which meant that it was almost over for the Warriors and only formalities were left. Vandersay was once again called in for his last over and boy did he cashed it in, removing all the remaining three wickets and getting his name registered in LPL history books. Earlier in the evening, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, Stars rode on great showing from their experienced campaigners in Kusal Perera, skipper de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal as all three were among runs to push the team past 180. While Perera scored 58 off 38 and de Silva made 40 off 28 balls, Chandimal, the leading run-scorer in the league now, remained unbeaten on 44 off 29 balls. With this win, the Stars qualified for the Eliminator which they will play against Dambulla Giants on December 19.