Jaffna Kings enter LPL finals for third time, Colombo Stars beat Galle Gladiators to reach Qualifier 2

Two rain-marred games saw Jaffna Kings and Colombo Stars winning on Wednesday in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2022 qualifier and eliminator. Kandy Falcons will get another chance as they were in the no.2 spot in the points table, whereas Galle will go home.

The second qualifier of LPL 2022 will see the Falcons take on the Stars at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. The winner of this clash will lock horns against the Jaffna Kings in the final on Friday.

Jaffna Kings vs Kandy Falcons (Qualifier 1)

The falcons opted to bat first after winning the toss. Opener Andre Fletcher couldn’t provide anything special for the team he got out in the 3^rd over of the innings for just 2 runs. However, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis, who came in at no.3 position stitched a 61-run partnership for the 2^nd wicket. After Nissanka got out in the 10^th over, the Falcons’ batting lineup shattered like a pack of cards.

Chasing a winning goal of 144, Jaffna Kings managed to bag 98/3 in 11 overs, while the rain hit the match. It was only 75 runs that Jaffna Kings had to have scored according to Duckworth Lewis's theory in 11 overs. They were always ahead on DLS as two rain breaks came. The second one put an end to the game. Kings registered their name in the finals, beating Kandy Falcons by 24 runs.

Colombo Stars vs Galle Gladiators (Eliminator)

The Stars won the toss and opted to bowl, they restricted the Gladiators to just 108 runs in the first innings, which comprised 18 overs. The top-three batters, namely Shafiq (4), Kusal Mendis (4), and Lahiru Udara (6) got out on single-digit scores. Middle-order batters such as Fernando (8), Iftikhar Ahmed (5), and Imad Wasim (17) also got out cheaply. But thanks to Arachchige’s valuable knock of 53 off 31 balls, the Gladiators managed to put on a decent total on the scoreboard.

In reply, Colombo Stars also didn’t have a very good start as they lost the first three wickets for 44 runs in 8.1 overs. Madushanka (13 off 27), Dinesh Chandimal (13 off 8), and Charith Asalanka (10 off 14) all were guilty of not converting the starts into big scores. However, Ravi Bopara and Angelo Mathews then joined forces and formed an unbeaten 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The duo helped the team chase down the total in just 16.5 overs.