Galle Gladiators lost the deciding game against Dambulla Aura but Gladiators led by Kusal Mendis qualified to play eliminate game at the LPL tournament yesterday at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.
Dambulla Aura had to get 130 runs to qualify for eliminate game in just 11.1 overs but they couldn’t reach that target even though they won the match by four wickets. Jordan Cox (34 in 21 balls) and Matthew Forde (52 in 30 balls) tried to reach their target in 11.1 overs but after both wickets fell Galle Gladiators came back strongly and entered the eliminate round. In fact Nuwanidu Fernando the youngest brother of Vishwa Fernando was the match hero for Gladiators.
He stroked excellent unbeaten knock of 63 in 42 balls with three fours and five sixes with a strike rate of 150 which paved the way to increase Galle side’s run rate.
The regular skipper of Dambulla Aura Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksha were rested yesterday while Sikanda Raza led the Dambulla side. But their tactics were not enough to make their qualification. Nuwanindu Fernando, the star of the Galle side said, “I had a plan to make quick innings to increase the total but top order collapsed unexpectedly. My normal game with big strokes applied for this vital game and I am very happy the way I batted”.
Kandy Falcons will meet Jaffna Kings in their qualifier game 1 tomorrow (21) commencing at 3pm while Eliminator game between Colombo Stars and Galle Gladiators will commence on same day at 7.30pm.
The looser of qualifier 1 game will meet winner of the eliminator game on 22nd at 7.30pm and final between qualifier 2 and winner of the qualifier 1 will be played on 23rd at 7.30pm.
Chief scores
Galle Gladiators 129 for 8 wickets in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 17,Azam Khan 15, Nuwanidu Fernando 63*, Lahiru Madashanka 1/16, Matthew Forde 4/11,Noor Ahmad 1/17,Dilum Sudeera 1/14, Sikanda Raza 1/31).
Dambulla Aura 134 for 6 in 14.2 overs (Jordan Cox 34, Matthew Forde 52, Sikanda Raza 11, Lahiru Madashanka 10*, Nuwan Thushara 2/42,Imad Wasim 2/32,Nimesh Vimukthi 1/17).
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