Kandy Falcons Archives

Jaffna Kings edge Kandy Falcons to set LPL 2024 Final with Galle Marvels

COLOMBO: Asitha Fernando held his nerves calm to defend 17 runs in the last over and steered Jaffna Kings to the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 final with a narrow one-run victory over Kandy Falcons in Qualifier 2 on Saturday.

However, it was not the easiest of defence for Fernando, who was hit for a six and a four as Ramesh Mendis had brought the equation down to four off one.

But Fernando somehow managed to get away despite bowling a low full-toss as Mendis could hit it towards mid-wicket and ran a couple.

Mendis remained unbeaten gutsy 30 off just 11 deliveries with the help of three fours and two sixes but his gutsy knock could not withstand the damage done by Fabian Allen and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.

Allen led the bowling charge for the Kings with a four-fer while Viyaskanth made three scalps.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

West Indies international Andre Fletcher remained the top-scorer for the Falcons with a 21-ball 38 while Mohammad Haris (26) and Kamindu Mendis (32) were the other notable run-getters.

Earlier, Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten century powered the Kings 187/7 in the allotted overs after they were put into bat first.

Mendis smashed 12 fours and five sixes on his way to an unbeaten 105 off 54 deliveries and top-scored for the former champions.

Besides him, Azmatullah Omarzai contributed significantly to the Kings’ total with a quickfire cameo down the order.

He struck one four and three sixes on his way to a 13-ball 26.

Mohammad Hasnain, Ramesh Mendis and Chaturanga de Silva bagged two wickets each for the Falcons while Wanindu Hasaranga made one scalp.

Former champions Jaffna Kings will now face Galle Marvels in the LPL 2024 final, scheduled to take place at R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

READ: India to look beyond THIS all-rounder for ODI plans – report

Defending champions Falcons prevail in tense Eliminator as Striker crash out

COLOMBO: Defending champions Kandy Falcons secured a narrow two-wicket victory over Colombo Strikers in a tense Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 Eliminator here at R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.

The Falcons chased down the 160-run target on the fourth delivery of the penultimate over when Ramesh Mendis struck Dunith Wellalage for a four.

But the defending champions had to make hard yards in achieving the total as they lost eight wickets in the process.

The Falcons, after getting off to a dismal start, kept losing wickets at an alarming rate and were consequently reduced to 83/6 in 10.2 overs.

However, a fighting partnership between Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka pulled the holders out of trouble and in touching distance of the victory.

The duo added an important 69 runs amid their seventh-wicket partnership that lasted with Shanaka’s dismissal on the last delivery of the 17th over.

Shanaka scored a brisk 39 off 21 deliveries, peppered with four fours and two sixes.

Mendis followed suit on the next delivery as he was cleaned up by Matheesha Pathirana, briefly after amassing his half-century.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He remained the top-scorer for the Falcons with a 36-ball 54, including three fours and as many sixes.

Binura Fernando and Pathirana took three wickets each for the Strikers while Shadab Khan and Isitha Wijesundara made one scalp each.

The Strikers, after being put into bat first, could register 159/8 on the board in their 20 overs despite Sadeera Samarawickrama’s half-century.

Samarawickrama took the reigns of Strikers’ batting expedition after coming out to bat in the sixth over with his side reeling at 42/3.

He waged a lone battle with a gutsy 62 off 45 deliveries until his departure in the final over.

Besides him, opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (30) and Wellalage (28) made significant contributions.

Mohammad Hasnain was the star with the ball for the Falcons, picking up three wickets for 24 while skipper Wanindu Hasaranga claimed two wickets.

Defending champions Kandy Falcons will now take on Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2 of the LPL 2024 in a bid to face Galle Marvels in the final on Sunday.

READ: New captain named as India unveil squad for Sri Lanka T20Is

Bowlers star as Sixers down Strikers in low-scoring contest

COLOMBO: A combined bowling effort led Dambulla Sixers to defend a low total against home side Colombo Strikers in the 20th match of the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 here on Tuesday.

Despite the 28-run victory, the Sixers crashed out of the playoffs race as they finished at the bottom with six points in eight matches.

Meanwhile, defending champions Kandy Falcons, who also boast alike record in the ongoing tournament, advanced into the next stage of the LPL 2024, owing to a superior net run rate.

Put into bat first, Dambulla Sixers recovered from a disastrous start to register 123 runs on the board.

The Sixers had lost half of their side inside eight overs with just 38 runs on the board.

Following the slump, Mohammad Nabi joined forces with Chamindu Wickramasinghe and launched an astounding recovery.

The duo batted sensibly and added 62 runs for the sixth wicket before Binura Fernando dismissed Nabi in the 16th over.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The veteran all-rounder remained the top-scorer for the Sixers with a 33-ball 40, laced up with four fours and two sixes.

Wickramasinghe soon followed in his senior’s footsteps and perished in the 18th over after scoring an important 26 off 29 deliveries.

Fernando led the bowling charge for the Strikers with 3/15, followed by Matheesha Pathirana and Dunith Wellalage, picking up two wickets each.

Chasing a modest 124, the Sixers’ batting unit unfolded on a paltry 95 despite skipper Thisara Perera’s fighting knock.

Perera waged a lone battle after coming out to bat at No.7 with the Strikers reeling at 48/5.

He scored a gutsy 30 off 31 deliveries with the help of one four and three sixes and was the last batter to be dismissed.

Nuwan Pradeep was the star with the ball for the Sixers with his three wickets while Chamindu Wickramasinghe bagged two.

READ: Shadab Khan aims to carry LPL 2024 form into international cricket

Jaffna Kings thump Kandy Falcons in rain-hit LPL clash

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.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

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.

READ: India humble Zimbabwe to take unassailable lead in T20I series

Seifert’s 82 trumps Hasaranga’s fifty as Galle Marvels beat Kandy Falcons

DAMBULLA: Wanindu Hasaranga’s explosive half-century went in vain as Tim Seifert played a dominant 82-run knock to help Galle Marvels defeat Kandy Falcons in the ninth match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.

Set to chase 176, Galle Marvels steered to victory in 17.1 overs with a loss of four wickets courtesy of Seifert’s unbeaten half-century.

Niroshan Dickwella set the tone with three boundaries in the first over, however, he fell on the last ball of the over.

Alex Hales was joined by Seifert and together they attacked the Falcons’ bowlers, constructing a 79-run stand for the second wicket in just 34 balls.

Hasaranga broke the partnership in the seventh over when he enticed Hales to attempt a slog sweep, only to get caught by Pavan Rathnayake at deep mid-wicket.

Hales played a quick 38-run cameo off 19 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

Seifert continued his onslaught as he got involved in a brief 38-run partnership with Bhanuka Rajapaksa (16) before Shoriful Islam castled the latter.

Janith Liyanage (11) struck two boundaries off Lakshan Sandakan, however, he got stumped while going for the third one.

Sahan Arachchige (9) joined Seifert and they safely steered Marvels to their third victory in the LPL 2024 with an unbeaten partnership of 29 runs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Seifert finished with an unbeaten 82 off 49, with the help of 13 boundaries, including two sixes.

Shoriful Islam led the bowling attack with two wickets, aided by Hasaranga and Sandakan, who bagged one each.

Galle Marvels’ captain Niroshan Dickwella invited Kandy Falcons to bat first and the bowlers proved the decision right by taking four wickets in quick succession with 32 runs on the board.

Opening batter Andre Fletcher, who remained unfazed amid falling wickets, partnered with Angelo Mathews (25) to add 45 runs for the fifth wicket.

Fletcher scored a 36-ball 50 with four boundaries and two sixes before falling prey to Maheesh Theekshana.

Wanindu Hasaranga then played a blistering cameo to push his team’s total to 175-7 in their allocated 20 overs.

The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 65 from 32 balls, laced with seven boundaries and three sixes.

For Galle Marvels, Isuru Udana claimed three wickets, while Zahoor Khan picked two.

READ: Washington Freedom edge past MI New York in rain-hit MLC clash

Shadab wreaks havoc as Strikers crush Falcons in LPL

PALLEKELE: Shadab Khan decimated Kandy Falcons with a hat-trick and led Colombo Strikers to a thumping 51-run victory in the third match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 here on Tuesday.

The Falcons were on course to chase down the 199-run target as they were 140/5 in 14 overs with skipper Wanindu Hasaranga at the crease.

But Shadab Khan turned the game on its head with a hat-trick as the Falcons were reduced to 146/8 at the end of the 15th over.

Dunith Wellalage, who was equally exceptional, took two wickets in the next over to take the Strikers home.

Both Shadab and Wellalage bagged four wickets each while Glenn Phillips and Binura Fernando chipped in with a wicket apiece as Colombo Strikers booked Kandy Falcons on 147 to kick off their LPL 2024 with a victory.

In-form batter Dinesh Chandimal once again top-scored for the Falcons as he scored 38 off 26 deliveries.

Besides him, skipper Hasaranga (25), Angelo Mathews (25) and Andre Fletcher (24) made notable contributions while the rest of the Falcons’ batters failed to make it into the double figures.

Put into bat first, the Strikers registered a massive total of 198/7 on the board, courtesy of a combined effort from their batters.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Leading the way was wicketkeeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama, who played a blazing knock of 48, coming off on 26 balls with the help of seven fours and a six.

Samarawickrama was supported in the act by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) international Muhammad Waseem as together they raised a quickfire 78-run partnership for the third wicket.

Waseem scored an 18-ball 32, peppered with two fours and two sixes.

Thisara Perera (38 off 30) and Shadab Khan (20 off 17) played anchoring knocks before Chamika Karunaratne bolstered the total with late fireworks.

Karunaratne smashed two fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 25 off 10.

For the Falcons, Hasaranga and Kasun Rajitha picked two wickets each while Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera and Agha Salman made one scalp apiece.

The resounding 51-run victory took Colombo Strikers to the top of the LPL 2024 standings with two points while Kandy Falcons remained third with as many points.

READ: “ICC’s duty to ensure India’s participation in Champions Trophy”