Defending champions, the Jaffna Kings, opened their Lanka Premier League 2022 campaign with a 24-run win over the Galle Gladiators, in a rematch of last year’s final.

Gladiators’ captain Kusal Mendis opted to field first, and the decision appeared to be a well-thought one, as his bowlers restricted the Kings to 48 for 4 in the eighth over.

The early spoils were shared, with Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Nuwan Pradeep and Nuwan Thushara each taking a wicket, Dhananjaya de Silva the only batsman to challenge the Gladiators’ bowling in that phase of the game, scoring 29 off 19, inclusive of three boundaries and two sixes.

A partnership of 31 off 28 balls followed between Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera, the run scoring in that stand almost equally shared.

The fifth-wicket partnership was broken when Wasim had Perera sliced a catch to short third man, and while the Kings slipped to 79 for 5, the situation was consolidated by Malik and all-rounder Dunith Wellalage, who together posted the best partnership of Jaffna’s innings scoring 39 from 26.

Malik’s dismissal brought an end to that valuable stand, and the Kings mustered just 19 runs off the last 21 deliveries that followed, bowled out for 137 with a ball to spare.

The Gladiators made a strong start, with Mendis and his opening partner Nuwanidu Fernando putting on a 58-run partnership before the latter was caught behind off the bowling of Wellalage.

That was as good as it got for the Gladiators, with Mendis losing three other partners for the addition of 21 runs, as the Galle franchise slipped to 79 for 4 at the start of the 13th over.

Mendis’ dismissal 18 runs later, with the Gladiators needing 41 off the last four overs, was the last nail in the coffin, as left-arm fast bowler Binura Fernando accounted for three of the last four wickets, wrapping up a 24-run win on the final ball of the innings.

Chief scores
Jaffna Kings 138 in 19.5 overs (Dunith Wellalage 30, Shoaib Malik 30, Dhananjaya de Silva 29, Imad Wasim 2/22, Wahab Riaz 2/23, Nuwan Pradeep 2/23, Iftikhar Ahmed 2/8)

Galle Gladiators 113 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 51, Imad Wasim 17, Nuwanidu Fernando 15, Binura Fernandp 3/22, Viyajakanth Viyaskanth 2/20)