Jaffna Stallions to face Galle Gladiators in Wednesday’s Lanka Premier League final after 37-run win over Dambulla Viiking in topsy-turvy semi-final; Johnson Charles scores 76 before Wanindu Hasaranga bags three wickets and Usman Shinwari stars in the field.
Jaffna Stallions secured a clash with Galle Gladiators in the inaugural Lanka Premier League final after Johnson Charles’ 76 from 56 balls, Wanindu Hasaranga’s three wickets and Usman Shinwari’s bullet fielding led the side to a 37-run win over Dambulla Viiking.
West Indian batsman Charles struck 10 fours and a fifty-sealing six during a superb knock but Stallions lost eight wickets for 54 runs in their final eight overs to slump from 111-1 to 165-9 in a topsy-turvy semi-final.
Dambulla faltered with the bat themselves, though, tumbling from 62-2 to 73-5 and ultimately 128 all out, during which time Shinwari twice ran out batsmen at the keeper’s end with direct hits from short third man.
Leg-spinner Hasaranga picked up 3-15 from his four overs to move on to a tournament-high 16 scalps, while fellow spinner Dhananjaya de Silva (1-23) also bowled economically as Viiking were skittled in 19.1 overs in Hambantota, Upul Tharanga top-scoring with 33.
Stallions had gone four matches without a victory after suffering three defeats and a washout in their final four group games having won their first four matches of the new Twenty20 competition.
But Thisara Perera’s men will face Galle in Wednesday’s trophy match, which is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 1.25pm, with Galle having knocked off Colombo Kings in Sunday’s opening semi-final.
Dambulla would have fancied their chances of beating Stallions and making the final after their superb comeback with the ball was followed by Niroshan Dickwella (29) and Tharanga putting on 44 for their third wicket after two early dismissals, including ex-England batsman Samit Patel for 10.
However, Dickwella was pinned lbw by Charith Asalanka in the ninth over, before Hasaranga’s leg-spin and Shinwari’s stellar fielding rocked Viiking’s chase, with Ramesh Mendis (26 off 10) the only one of the final seven batsmen to reach double figures in a chastening defeat.
Stallions had also collapsed with the bat, so were grateful for the innings of Charles, who put on 68 with opening partner Aviskha Fernando (39 off 26) after their skipper Thisara elected to bat.
Charles was sixth man out, caught superbly by a diving Anwar Ali at mid-off as the fielder claimed his third catch of the night.
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