LPL 2021: Match 5, Review: Samit Patel stars as Galle Gladiators register four-wicket win over Kandy Warriors

Galle Gladiators pulled off a thrilling 4-wicket win over Kandy Warriors in the fifth fixture of the Lanka Premier League at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. Chasing 144 to win, the Gladiators got over the line with four balls to spare when Lahiru Madushanka smashed the first two deliveries of the last over for a six and a four.

The Galle Gladiators needed 26 off 14 balls when the seventh-wicket pair of Madushanka and Dhananjaya Lakshan came together, and what a breath-taking finish it turned out to be.

Madushanka was unbeaten on 22 with 2 sixes and a boundary while Lakshan played quick-fire unbeaten innings of 10 runs from 4 balls. Lakshan had also performed with the ball earlier in the match, picking up figures of 2/11.

The Gladiators got off to a great start as the openers Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka put up a partnership of 62 runs in 7.3 overs. Dhanushka Gunathilaka made 45 off 33 packed with 2 sixes and 4 fours and Kusal Mendis scored 16 off 21 with 2 fours. Skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa kept up the momentum with a brisk 22 off 13 hitting 2 fours and a six.

Samit Patel was the pick of the bowlers for Gladiators

Earlier, Kandy Warriors posted a formidable total of 143 for 6 in their 20 overs. Ahmed Shehzad and Kamindu Mendis were the highlights of the Warriors’ batting card. Shehzad scored 56 off 51, while Mendis gathered 32 off 25. Samit Patel was the pick of the bowlers for the Gladiators with figures of 3/13. The Galle Gladiators are currently at the top of the table with 2 wins from 3 matches.

The fresh edition of Lanka Premier League is currently up in Sri Lanka where all the matches of the league stage will be played at R. Premadasa Stadium while the playoffs are set to take place at Mahinda Rajapaksa stadium. LPL organizers decided to chalk out the plan for this year to go in the pattern of IPL while having playoffs stage instead of having orthodox fixtures for the second level of the game. Jaffna stand to be the current champions of the Lanka Premier League and remains to be seen if they grab the title this time around.