The Lankan Premier League 2022 is staging a great event already. In the few matches that have concluded, the teams have put on some great performances to entertain the fans. Day seven of the tournament was no different. In the two matches that took place on the day, Galle Gladiators and Kandy Falcons played the first game and Jaffna Kings and Colombo Stars played the second game at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Here is a roundup of day seven of the tournament.
Match 9- Galle Gladiators vs Kandy Falcons
Winning the toss, Galle Gladiators decided to bat first. This decision worked out well for them as they set up a decent total of 153/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Opener Thanuka Dabare was at his best, scoring 70 runs in 51 balls. While a few wickets fell at one end, he kept the scoreboard ticking. Nuwanidu Fernando (56 runs in 50 balls) also had a great game as he supported Dabare to help his team get to a good total.
In the chase, the in-form Kandy Falcons could not make much of the opportunity as not many batters stepped up to the occasion. Ashen Bandara, batting at number six, was the highest scorer of the innings. He scored 41 runs in 30 balls, while Chamika Karunartne, batting at number eight, scored 32 runs in 15 balls. Apart from these two, not many could do much and the Falcons were restricted to 141/7, handing the Gladiators a 12-run win.
Match 10- Colombo Stars vs Jaffna Kings
The Colombo Stars won the toss and put the Jaffna Kings to bat first. The Kings, on the other hand, did not mind batting first as they put on some short cameos to help the team to a good total. Shoaib Malik, with 35 runs in 26 balls, was the best performer in the innings. With 32 runs each, Avishka Fernando and Sadeera Samarawickrama also contributed. The Kings set up a huge total of 178/5 with the help of a few more cameos.
In the chase, the Colombo stars did not get a good start as they lost three wickets within the powerplay. They could only manage 33 runs in the first six overs. The Kings’ bowlers did not stop there and kept striking regular wickets. Despite the efforts of Angelo Matthews (73 runs in 38 balls) and Benny Howell (43 runs in 20 balls), the Stars fell short by a small margin of six runs. They were restricted to a score of 172/8.
