B-Love Kandy vs Jaffna Kings Archives

LPL: Hasaranga six-fer lifts B-Love Kandy as Jaffna Kings crash out

COLOMBO: Wanindu Hasaranga, with impressive bowling figures of 6-9, scripted a thumping victory for B-Love Kandy as they defeated defending champions Jaffna Kings by 61 runs in the Eliminator of Lanka Premier League (LPL) on Thursday.

After winning the toss, Jaffna Kings opted to ball first and drew first blood early on as Nuwan Thushara castled Fakhar Zaman in the first over.

However, Dinesh Chandimal recovered Jaffna Kings as he played a quick cameo of 41 runs in 24 balls, featuring six boundaries and one six.

He departed at a total score of 69 in the eighth over, after knitting a solid 39-ball 68 runs partnership with Mohammad Haris.

Hasaranga joined Haris at the crease and started off well, hitting two sixes to Asela Gunaratne, however, the bowler got the last laugh as he was bowled two balls later after scoring 19 off 11.

Mohammad Haris, who anchored through the innings with 38 runs off 32 balls shifted gears in the 14th over hitting 18 runs off Gunaratne and completed his half-century in the process.

Kamindu Mendis rotated strike while Haris attacked Jaffna bowlers amid their 55 runs partnership off 33 balls.

Haris finally departed after scoring 79 runs off 49 balls with the help of eight fours and four sixes. Maheesh Theekshana picked up the prized wicket courtesy of stumping by Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

B-Love Kandy appeared to be in a position to breach the 200-run mark at the end of the 18th over with 180 runs on the board, however, Jaffna Kings’ bowlers pulled them back as they only managed eight runs in the final two overs to reach 188/8.

Nuwan Thushara topped the bowling card with 4-40, including three wickets in the final over of the innings. Meanwhile, Maheesh Theekshana and Asela Gunaratne picked up two wickets each.

Jaffna Kings started their chase horribly as they were reduced to 49-4 in seven overs after Wanindu Hasaranga’s double-wicket sixth over.

However, veterans Shoaib Malik and David Miller then knitted a partnership of 52 runs from 33 balls before the latter fell prey to Hasaranga after scoring 26 off 22. Asela Gunaratne followed him two balls later as Hasaranga registered another double-wicket over.

Jaffna Kings needed 88 runs from seven overs with Shoaib Maik and Thisara Perera at the crease, however, Perera perished without opening his account.

Ultimately, the whole team bundled out at a total of 127 in the 18th over as Hasaranga returned for his final over and once again picked two wickets in the over to complete his six-fer.

This was the first five-wicket haul in this year’s LPL and the best-ever bowling figures in the league’s history.

Shoaib Malik top-scored for Jaffna Kings with 31 runs from 23 balls with the help of three boundaries and one six.

After knocking out defending LPL champions Jaffna Kings, B-Love Kandy will now face Galle Titans in the Qualifier 2 of LPL on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dambulla Aura has already qualified for the LPL final after winning Qualifier 1 against Galle Titans.

READ: Naseem Shah reacts to Aaqib Javed rating Zaman Khan higher

Haris blitz sinks Jaffna Kings as B-Love Kandy storm into LPL playoffs

COLOMBO: Mohammad Haris’s swashbuckling 81-run knock powered B-Love Kandy into the Lanka Premier League (LPL) playoffs with a thrilling eight-run victory over Jaffna Kings on Saturday.

With LPL 2023 playoffs berth at stake, B-Love Kandy put on an all-round show to edge holders Jaffna Kings by eight runs, thanks to a berserk 81-run knock by Haris and Angelo Mathews’s 3/10.

Opting to bat first, B-Love Kandy piled up a commendable total of 178/8 in 20 overs with wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris leading the way with a brilliant knock.

The opening batter dominated the Kings’ bowlers right from the start with the belligerent hitting before finally perishing in the 15th over.

Haris smashed 10 boundaries and two sixes on his way to top score for B-Love Kandy with a 51-ball 81.

Mohammad Haris’s opening partner Fakhar Zaman and veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews recorded the next best scores for B-Love Kandy, scoring 22 each.

Nuwan Thusara led the bowling attack for the Kings with 3/31, followed by two wickets each from Dunith Wellalage and Dilshan Madushanka.

Set to chase a daunting 179-run target, the Kings came up just eight runs short as they could accumulate 170/6 in the allotted overs despite Shoaib Malik’s gutsy half-century.

The Kings got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost three wickets in quick succession.

Coming out to bat with his side reeling at 16/3 in the fifth, Shoaib Malik knitted an anchoring 35-run partnership with Chris Lynn, who could score 27 off 26 deliveries.

Malik was then joined by hard-hitting batter David Miller, who glimmered a ray of hope for the Kings with a brisk start but could not continue and fell to Isuru Udana in the 13th over.

He scored 24 off 16 deliveries, hitting four boundaries.

Kings’ captain Thisara Perera then joined Malik in the middle and stitched a vital 60-run partnership before Nuwan Pradeep dismissed him in the 18th over.

Perera’s dismissal was a major momentum booster for B-Love Kandy as he was breathing fire amid his brief yet crucial 20-ball 36. His knock featured two boundaries and two sixes.

The Kings missed the firepower in the death overs despite Shoaib Malik being set at the crease and they eventually fell a mere eight runs short of pulling a thrilling victory.

Malik remained unbeaten with his 37-ball 55, laced up with four boundaries and a six.

Angelo Mathews led the bowling attack for B-Love Kandy with 3/10 in his three overs while Pradeep had two to his name.

A narrow nine-run victory over Jaffna Kings propelled B-Love Kandy to book their spot in the LPL 2023 playoffs as they sit at the second position with eight points in six matches.

READ: PSG sideline Kylian Mbappe for season-opener as Dembele arrives

Hasaranga leads B-Love Kandy to a crushing victory over Jaffna Kings in LPL

PALLEKELE: Wanindu Hasaranga followed his 3/9 with a quickfire half-century and helped B-Love Kandy to sink Jaffna Kings by eight wickets in the ninth game of Lanka Premier League (LPL).

After winning the toss, B-Love Kandy opted to bowl first and reduced Jaffna Kings to 7-2 in 2.1 overs, removing Rahmanulla Gurbaz (0) and Charith Asalanka (5) quickly, thanks to an amazing display of pace bowling by Angelo Mathews. He picked up two wickets in his two overs for eight runs.

Towhid Hridoy (19 off 22) tried to anchor the Kings’ innings with a brief third-wicket partnership with David Miller but was removed by Hasaranga with the scoreboard reading at 34 in seven overs.

Miller and Priyamal Perera then made notable contributions – 21 each – in the middle but failed to pull their side out of danger.

Following their departure, the Kings lost wickets at an alarming rate and were consequently slipped to 86/9 in the 17th over before Dunith Wellalage added valuable runs at the backend.

Wellalage’s gutsy knock recovered the Kings to 117/6 in 20 overs. His 27-ball 38 featured six boundaries and a six.

Wanindu Hasarnga returned with impressive figures of 3-9 in his four overs, while Nuwan Pradeep picked three wickets for 36 runs.

B-Love Kandy got off to a cautious start to the run chase as they could score 31 runs in the powerplay.

Nandre Burger then castled Chandimal (22 off 16) on the first delivery after the powerplay to draw a much-needed success for the Kings.

Promoting himself up the order, Hasaranga joined Fakhar in the middle and turned the game on its head with belligerent hitting.

He baton charged the Kings’ bowlers while Fakhar Zaman held his end firm.

The duo added 71 runs off 36 balls for the second wicket before Fakhar faltered with B-Love Kandy requiring just 16 in eight overs.

He scored an anchoring 42 off 39, laced up with two boundaries and two sixes.

Hasaranga did not hold back despite Fakhar’s dismissal as he finished the game in the same over by hitting 15 runs off the last four deliveries.

His 22-ball 52 feature five boundaries and three maximums.

B-Love Kandy are slated at fourth position in the LPL standings, while Jaffna Kings are at three, thanks to their better net run rate.

Jaffna Kings will face Dambulla Aura on Monday, whereas, B-Love Kandy will square off against Galle Titans on August 8.

READ: LPL: Kusal Mendis guides Dambulla Aura to edge Colombo Strikers