Colombo Kings end Jaffna Stallions unbeaten run

A spirited effort by Colombo Kings ended Jaffna Stallions unbeaten run in the Lanka Premier League at Suriyawewa yesterday. Colombo were chasing only 149 to win but it wasn’t the easiest wicket to bat on and someone needed to show application.  Dinesh Chandimal showed how it is done with a disciplined knock with his unbeaten 68 taking Colombo over the line with four balls to spare. With the five wicket win, Colombo now move to second of the points table. Jaffna still remain on top.

Chandimal’s unbeaten 68 came off 51 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

The game was in the balance when Colombo needed 53 runs off 30 balls. But Andre Russell changed the equation scoring 23 runs off the 16th over bowled by Binura Fernando. Colombo could breathe easy from that point on and eventually when the equation came down to 18 runs off last three overs, they didn’t take any undue risks. Fittingly, Chandimal scored the winning boundary.

Colombo used the reviews well too. Chandimal and Russell were both given out leg before wicket by umpire Ravindra Wimalasiri but both batsmen overturned the decision after successfully reviewing.

Jaffna Stallions had come into the game with momentum behind them having won four games in a row. With a place in the semi-finals almost certain, they benched four of their frontline players and provided an opportunity for some others who had been benched.

Afghan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad provided a superb start for his side claiming three wickets and then Jaffna’s middle order was susceptible against the short ball.  Dushmantha Chameera bowled with fire and having him fully fit for the tour of South Africa augurs well. When he first came into the scene as a 23-year-old in New Zealand, in 2015 Chameera was one of the fastest bowlers in the world. But a series of injuries saw him out of the side all the time and fans are excited to see him share the new ball with Lahiru Kumara in the Boxing Day Test match later this month.

That Jaffna managed to post a total of 148 was thanks largely to Wanindu Hasaranga, their all-rounder who has had a massive impact in the competition.

The score was 87 for seven when Hasaranga’s elder brother Chaturanga de Silva was dismissed. From there, he stitched some crucial partnerships with the tail to get to 148. Hasaranga’s 41 came off 23 balls with seven fours and a six.

His leg-spin then was quite handful after being handed the new ball. The wrong’un bamboozled Laurie Evans and  bowled him. Hasaranga used the googly again to outfox Daniel Bell-Drummond. His four overs cost just 23 runs, less than six runs an over!