After a gap of two days, the Lanka Premier League 2022 returned to action and the action now moved to the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Day 9 of the tournament saw two matches, with Dambulla Aura and Galle Gladiators playing the first match and Colombo Stars taking on Kandy Falcons in the next. Here is the complete roundup of day 9 of the Lanka Premier League 2022.
Match 15- Dambulla Aura vs Galle Gladiators
Dambulla Aura won the toss and chose to bat first on a new surface, which worked out well for them. Shevon Daniel and Jordan Cox, the two openers, gave them a perfect start. The two started scoring from the word go and went on to continue their partnership until the 18th over. Each scored a half-century and added a 163-run partnership to put their team in a great position. The two were dismissed in quick succession, with Daniel scoring 80 runs in 55 balls and Cox scoring 78 runs in 58 balls. In the end, Dambulla Aura managed a score of 178/5 in their 20 overs.
After that, the Dambulla Aura bowlers emerged on the top as well. They sent four of the Galle Gladiators’ batters back to the pavilion within the powerplay. The Gladiators, on the other hand, managed a score of 52 runs. Lahiru Udara (32) and Iftikhar Ahmed (21) formed a small partnership after that, but that was never enough for them. The bowlers kept striking the wickets and restricted Gladiators to a score of 130-10 to take a 48-run victory.
Match 16- Colombo Stars vs Kandy Falcons
Batting first, Colombo Stars did not have a good start as they lost four wickets within the first six overs. They could only manage 44 runs in the powerplay. After that, the Kandy Falcons’ bowlers continued to build pressure and take wickets. Only Angelo Matthews (41 runs in 38 balls) did show some intent, while the wickets kept tumbling at the other end. In the end, they managed a score of 106 runs. Chamika Karunaratne took four wickets for the Falcons, while Oshane Thomas, Isuru Udana, and Fabian Allen took three, two, and one, respectively.
The Falcons faced an early hiccup in the chase with the wicket of Minod Bhanuka in the 2nd over. However, it was all smooth sailing for them after that. Andre Fletcher and Kamindu Mendis guided their team home with ease. They built a partnership of 101 runs, with Fletcher remaining unbeaten at 44 runs in 41 balls and Mendis scoring 51 runs in 48 balls. In the end, the Falcons won the match by nine wickets and four overs to spare.
