Galle Gladiators moved to the second spot in the points table in on-going Lanka Premier League after a scintillating 20-run win over Jaffna Kings in a low-scoring clash in Colombo. Chasing 130 in 20 overs, the Kings were bundled out for 109 in the 19th over.
The Jaffna side didn’t really have a great start to the chase and lost wickets at regular intervals to get reduced to 78/6 before getting bowled out. Shoaib Malik top-scored with 23 off 27 for the side. On the other hand, the Gladiators bowlers never let the batters take an upper hand during the course of the innings.
Noor Ahmad returned with a couple of wickets for 12 runs in 4 overs while Samit Patel scalped two wickets for 15 runs in his 4 overs. The Kings also faced some issues with the running between the wickets as three out of the seven players were run out.
Earlier, in the day, Jaffna Kings bowlers managed to restrict the Gladiators at 129/8 in 20 overs. Rajapaksa was the top-scorer for his side with a 25-ball 23. Jayawickrama was the pick of the bowlers for Jaffna Kings as he had two wickets to his name for 13 runs in 3 overs.
Rajapaksa later talked about the win and admitted that the track something on offer for the bowlers.
“It was a good toss to win, the wicket wasn't the best to bat on, we wanted to get at least 130 and the bowlers held up under pressure. We are very positive as a team, thanks to our owner. He always keeps his cool under pressure - we put them under the pump right from the start and that paid off,” he said after the match.