COLOMBO: Charith Asalanka’s belligerent hitting led Jaffna Kings to a six-wicket victory over Kandy Falcons in the 15th match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 here at R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
In a match that was reduced to seven overs per side, Jaffna Kings skipper Assalanka won the coin toss and put defending champions Falcons into bat.
The Falcons registered a decent total of 78/5 in the allocated seven overs, courtesy of Mohammad Haris’s blistering cameo.
The Pakistan international recovered the Falcons from a dismal start by launching a counterattack on the Kings’ bowlers.
Haris smashed two fours and three sixes on his way to a 13-ball 30.
He was involved in an important 56-run partnership for the second wicket with Dinesh Chandimal, who remained another significant contributor with a 13-ball 21, laced with two fours and a six.
Jason Behrendorff was the pick of the bowlers for Jaffna Kings, picking up three wickets for 10 while Asitha Fernando and Azmatullah Omarzai took one apiece.
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In response, Jaffna Kings chased down the 79-run target for the loss of six wickets and seven balls to spare.
The Kings, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost three wickets on just 13 in 2.1 overs.
Coming out to bat at No.5, Kings’ skipper Charith Asalanka turned the game on its head with belligerent hitting.
The right-handed put the Kings in touching distance with a nine-ball 26 before Azmatullah Omarzai provided the final touches with 24 off six.
Asalanka hit four sixes while Omarzai smashed one four and three sixes.
Angelo Mathews and Wanindu Hasaranga bagged two wickets each for the Falcons while Dasun Shanaka claimed one.
The four-wicket victory solidified Jaffna Kings’ grip at the summit of the LPL 2024 standings with 10 points in seven matches while Kandy Falcons remained at the bottom with four points in as many matches.
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