After a hiccup in the first qualifier against Galle Gladiators, the Jaffna Kings who had been in some good form in the ongoing Lanka Premier League 2021, were back on track with a win against Dambulla Giants in the second qualifier and registered a place in the final of the tournament.
Batting first, the Kings rode on an exceptional first-wicket stand of 122 runs between Avishka Fernando and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to lay a foundation for a big total. Gurbaz eventually departed for 70 off 40 but Fernando went on to notch up a ton before he was out on 100 off 64 deliveries. It was a phenomenal knock that included four maximums and 10 fours. The Jaffna Kings posted 210/4 in 20 overs.
Later, Giants’ batting order failed to put up a fight and barring Chamika Karunaratne, no other batter really got into the groove, failing to make a significant contribution. Karunaratne was the lone warrior after he remained unbeaten on a 47-ball 75.
Jayden Seales and Maheesh Theekshana didn’t really let the Dambulla batters take an upper hand. While Seales returned with figures of 3/24 in 4 overs, Theekshana had a couple to his name for 23 runs in 4 overs.
Thisara Perera expressed delight at the win and lauded the batters for their efforts.
“I am really happy today with the way our batters batted. There was pressure after losing the first playoff. As a unit, everything was done really well. The final is just another match. My boys did a really good job today and hope they can do well in the finals,” he said after the match.
Jaffna Kings will now lock horns with Galle Gladiators in the final on Thursday (December 23, 2021) in Hambantota.