AVISHKA TON STEERS JAFFNA KINGS TO LPL FINAL

Sets up rematch of first season title decider

By M. Shamil Amit Reporting from Sooriyawewa

A century from Avishka Fernando, the first of this year’s Lanka Premier League (LPL), and a quick-fire half-century from fellow opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the Jaffna Kings up to record a 23-run win over the Dambulla Giants in Qualifier 2 at the Sooriyawewa Stadium yesterday.

The win means the Jaffna franchise will have an opportunity to repeat as champions when they take on the Galle Gladiators in the final on Thursday.

Fernando’s century came off 64 balls, inclusive of ten boundaries and four sixes, with Gurbaz’s 70 coming from just 40 balls, with five fours and four sixes.

Dambulla Giants in pursuit of a massive target of 211 were given a good start of 39 runs by openers Phil Salt and stand-in skipper Niroshan Dickwella, but fell back as they slid to 44 for 3 in the fifth over.

At the halfway stage of the innings they lost two more wickets and were struggling on 85 for 6. Left with a daunting task of making 116 runs from 60 balls, an unbeaten 75 by Chamika Karunaratne came too late and with the Giants restricted to a score of 187.

The massive score of 210 for 4 posted by Jaffna Kings was the highest of the tournament so far.
Gurbaz was the first to reach the half ton mark in just 28 balls with a six off spinner Imran Tahir and the pair went on to post the 100-run partnership in 65 balls.  This followed with Fernando reaching his half ton which took him 40 balls before Karunaratne separated the pair with the wicket of Gurbaz after the pair added 121 runs.  Fernando associated in two more useful partnerships, first for 37 runs for the second wicket with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and the other of 41 runs for the third wicket with skipper Thisara Perera before being the third Jaffna Kings wicket to fall after reaching his ton.

Jaffna Kings will now meet Galle Gladiators in the final scheduled to be played tomorrow from 7.30 p.m onwards and is virtually a repeat of last year’s final though the Jaffna franchise competed as the Jaffna Stallions, before the ownership changed hands.