The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League, the premium T20 tournament of Sri Lanka, got off to a flyer with a super over finish at Hambantota in the very first game featuring Colombo Kings and Kandy Tuskers. In the super over, batting first, the Kings made 16 runs, thanks to some lusty blows from Caribbean import Andre Russell and captain Angelo Mathews.
Defending the total was Isuru Udana, who had played a match-saving knock earlier with the bat. Udana was hit for a four and a six by Afghan batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz to bring down the equation to seven from three balls, having played the first delivery as a dot ball.
However, a rash umpiring decision meant that wide was not called in favour of the chasing side and thus seven was required from the last two balls. Udana bowled a wide Yorker which got Gurbaz off strike with Kusal Perera facing the first delivery in the super over and was required to hit a six, which he failed to do, thereby letting his team lose the match by four runs.
Earlier in the game, the Tuskers, riding on the brilliance of their two openers, Gurbaz (53 of 22) and Perera (87 of 52), got up to 219 in their innings. Kings too did not back away in the chase and made merry on the dew-laden ground as they equalled the daunting total thanks to some amazing hitting by experienced pros Dinesh Chandimal (80 of 46) and a late dash by all-rounder Udana, who hit 34 off just 12 , including four sixes.
Chandimal, for his brilliant knock, was chosen Man of the Match. On Saturday, the Galle Gladiators, captained by Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the absence of Shahid Afridi, would take on Jaffna Stallions, led by Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera.
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