The playoffs of the Lanka Premier League 2022 went underway yesterday at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The top two teams, Kandy Falcons and Jaffna Kings, competed in the first Qualifier, while Galle Gladiators and Colombo Stars played in the Eliminator. With the conclusion of the first two playoff matches, the tournament has its first finalist. Here is the roundup of the playoffs matches of the Lanka Premier League 2022.
Qualifier 1- Kandy Falcons vs Jaffna Kings
Batting first Kandy Falcons lost an early wicket but they stabilized the innings from there on. In a watchful partnership, Pathum Nissanka (35) and Kamindu Mendis (26), took the Falcons to a total of 69/2 in 9.2 overs. After that, no other batter could do much as the Jaffna Kings’ bowlers kept striking early wickets. The final score for the Kandy Falcons was just 148 runs, and they suffered eight-wicket losses in the first innings.
The chase for the Kings was full of mixed emotions as they lost three wickets within the powerplay and scored as many as 71 runs. Sadeera Samarawickrama (15) and Dunith Wellalage (19) were in the middle when the rain poured in. After 11 overs, the Kings had managed a score of 98 runs in 11 overs and were 24 runs ahead of the DLS total. In the end, the game had to be abandoned, and the Kings won by a score of 7 wickets and 24 runs (DLS Method). With this, Jaffna Kings became the first team to reach the final.
Eliminator- Colombo Stars vs Galle Gladiators
The all-important knockout game saw the Colombo Stars take on Galle Gladiators. Batting first, the Gladiators had a terrible innings. In a rain-shortened game, they only managed 13 runs in the powerplay (5 overs). Sahan Arachchige, batting at number four, was the only saving grace for the Gladiators. In the first innings, he scored 53 runs in 31 balls to help his team reach a total of 108/9.
The Colombo Stars also lost a few quick wickets in the chase. However, it was Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten knock that took his team through. He scored 43 runs in 28 balls to get his team across the line, while Angelo Mathews (20 runs in 25 balls) gave him the perfect support. The Stars chased down the target with seven wickets and as many balls to spare. They will now face the Kandy Falcons in the second Qualifier on the 21st of December.
