LPL 2021: Match 12, Review: Jaffna Kings thump Kandy Warriors by seven wickets to occupy top spot in tally

Jaffna Kings defeated Kandy Warriors by 7 wickets via the DLS method in a rain-curtailed match in the Lanka Premier League on Sunday. After being asked to bat first, Warriors’ opener Charith Asalanka scored 44 runs in 34 balls to help his team post 94/2 in 12.2 overs.

The rain caused a stoppage in the match, ending Kandy Warriors’ innings at that point, and by the DLS method, Jaffna Kings were asked to chase down 95 runs in 10 overs.

Jaffna Kings got off to a solid start in the chase with Avishka Fernando scoring 23 runs in 12 balls at a strike rate of 191.67, helping his team cross 50-run mark in just 5 overs. But Fernando and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were dismissed in quick succession, as Kings found themselves reeling at 52/3 in 5.1 overs.

But veteran cricketer Shoaib Malik and Jaffna skipper Thisara Perera kept cool heads and stitched an unbeaten 43-run stand to chase down the target in 8.4 overs and helped the team pick up a big win.

While Malik scored 14* in 9 balls, Perera scored 29* in 13 balls in the chase. Malik, who had also registered figures of 19/1 in his 3 overs with the ball, was named man of the match for his allround performance.

With the win, the Jaffna Kings jumped to the first spot in the tally, and having won four of their five encounters thus far, they look set for a playoffs entry. Meanwhile, the Kandy Warriors have all but knocked themselves out of contention, as this loss was their fourth in five games. With a single victory and a poor net run rate of -0.496, they need plenty of results to fall their way even if they win all of the remaining games.

The Kings will next play Dambulla Giants on December 13 followed by Colombo Stars on December 16 and Galle Gladiators on the next day. The Warriors, on the other hand, have their next game lined up against Colombo Stars on December 14 followed by Dambulla Giants on December 16 and Colombo Stars on the next day.

The LPL has adopted an IPL-like playoffs model this year after all the franchises felt the previous edition devalued the league stage as even topping the table and losing the semi-final meant an exit for the team.