By Amindha de Alwis

The Galle Gladiators defeated the Dambulla Giants by nine runs in their Lanka Premier League game which was reduced to 14-overs per side last evening.

The sum of the day’s results, however, meant that both sides joined Jaffna Kings in the playoffs with Kandy Warriors and Colombo Stars left to battle it out for the final spot.

The Bhanuka Rajapaksa-led Gladiators put on 134 in their 14 overs before keeping the Giants’ batsmen to 125 despite a 90-run partnership between Phil Salt (41) and Janith Liyanage (51).

Liyanage, who timed the ball impeccably during his knock, brought up his half-century with a boundary that bisected long-off and long-on but the game turned firmly in the Gladiators’ favour when Samit Patel accounted for both him and captain Dasun Shanaka in the same over.

Najibullah Zadran kept Dambulla’s hopes alive with a brace of maximums off Amir in the penultimate over that left Isuru Udana with 21 to defend off the final over.

The fate that befell Lahiru Kumara in the afternoon game, however, did not fall on Udana who closed out the over efficiently to give his side their third win of the competition and move them up to second place in the points table.

Earlier, Galle Gladiators who were sent into bat, made 41 off the reduced four-over powerplay with Danushka Gunathilaka their only casualty following some well connected sweeps shots to the fence.

Kusal Mendis made an attractive 35 before being caught on the fence in the seventh over to hand Imran Tahir his second scalp.

A total in excess of 150 was in the Gladiators’ sights with Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Mohammed Hafeez starting to strike the ball cleanly but the re-introduction of Irishman Josh Little, who has enjoyed a prolific year with the ball, saw both players walking back to consecutive deliveries. A mix-up resulting in the wicket of Dhananjaya Lakshan only compounded matters for the Galle, leaving them at 116 for six.

It could have been worse if not for some poor fielding by Dambulla in the final few overs that left them with a target of 135 which ultimately proved a bridge too far.

Imran Tahir, using all his tactical nous, was the pick of the bowlers as he ended up with three wickets for 20.