Galle Titans Down Jaffna Kings in LPL 2023
The Galle Titans managed to make a strong comeback after enduring four consecutive losses, securing their third victory today, August 13th. They emerged victorious against the Jaffna Kings in Match No.17 of the Lanka Premier League 2023, held at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Winning the toss, Jaffna Kings’ captain Thisara Perera chose to bat first. They introduced a change in their lineup, replacing Asela Gunaratne with Charith Asalanka. Meanwhile, the Galle Titans made three alterations to their team, with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Seekkuge Prasanna, and Tabraiz Shamsi stepping in for Shevon Daniel, Ashan Priyanjan, and Richard Ngarava.
The Jaffna Kings faced an early setback as Rajitha dismissed the aggressive opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz on just the third ball of their innings. The defending champions had a disastrous beginning, losing their first four wickets with only 7 runs on the scoreboard within 2.3 overs. The Afghan batsman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, continued his struggle and was dismissed for a second-ball duck in the opening over by Kasun Rajitha. In the second over, Lahiru Kumara made an impact as Chris Lynn lost his wicket by chopping the ball onto his stumps.
The fall of wickets continued as Nishan Madushka became the next victim. Rajitha skillfully swung the ball, resulting in the batter only managing to produce an edge behind. In the following two balls, Rajitha struck again, dismantling the in-form Shoaib Malik for a duck, further weakening the Jaffna Kings at 7/4.
Rajitha’s impressive performance persisted as he claimed a significant wicket, that of David Miller. Miller misjudged a slow delivery, attempting a stroke prematurely and offering a simple catch back to the bowler. This sequence meant that the Jaffna Kings had lost half of their batting lineup within the powerplay, with the score at a mere 21/5.
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Asela Gunaratne fell victim to a leg-before-wicket decision by Shakib Al Hasan, becoming the sixth wicket to fall. The brief innings of Captain Thisara Perera came to an end at 13 runs, dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi. Dunith Wellalage emerged as the top scorer for the Jaffna Kings, contributing 22 runs off 31 deliveries before Shamsi secured his second wicket.
Amidst the loss of 8 wickets for a mere 56 runs, Maheesh Theekshana and Dilshan Madushanka managed to build the highest partnership of the innings, adding 24 runs over 7.3 overs. Unfortunately, Madushanka’s innings concluded at 12, as he was dismissed by a sharply delivered full ball from Kumara.
In the final over, Nuwan Thushara displayed a powerful shot, sending the ball for a six against Lahiru Samarakoon. However, Thushara’s innings was cut short on the last ball as he was run out, tallying 7 runs. The Jaffna Kings were ultimately bundled out for a total of 89. Theekshana concluded the innings not out with a score of 13 runs from 23 balls.
Meanwhile, Rajitha, who inflicted significant damage on the Kings’ batting lineup, concluded with remarkable figures of 4/20. Kumara also delivered an impressive performance, claiming 2 wickets for a mere 13 runs in his 4 overs, even managing a maiden over. Shamsi secured 2 wickets for 19 runs, while Shakib contributed with one wicket, adding to the comprehensive bowling effort from the Galle Titans.
Tim Seifert and Bhanuka Rajapaksa stepped onto the field and swiftly added 34 runs in a span of 4.3 overs. Maheesh Theekshan managed to dismiss Rajapaksa for 15 runs. Subsequently, Chad Bowes joined Seifert, his fellow countryman, forming a partnership of 51 runs for the 2nd wicket.
In the course of this partnership, Seifert achieved his 3rd fifty of the season, reaching the milestone in 40 balls. However, with a mere 5 runs needed for victory, Dilshan Madushanka claimed the wicket of Seifert, who scored 55 runs off 42 balls, including 5 fours and 1 six. Shakib Al Hasan, who followed Seifert, was dismissed by Shoaib Malik. The winning runs were sealed by Skipper Dasun Shanaka on the very next delivery, marking a significant comeback for the Galle Titans. They secured their 3rd victory by 7 wickets after facing four consecutive losses.
Kasun Rajitha was recognized as the Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance earlier in the game. Although the defending champions suffered a defeat, they maintained their position at No.3 in the Points Table, while the Titans held onto the No.4 spot, keeping their hopes alive.
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