Lyca’s Jaffna Kings virtually guaranteed their spot in the top playoff of the Lanka Premier League following a four-wicket victory over last year’s champions from Kandy. In a bizarre seven over-a-side rain game, that had almost everything in terms of cricketing excitement that a 14-over game could hold, the team from the North emerged victorious.
Having won a late toss in a rain-affected game, the three-time champions put the current title holders (albeit under a different team name) into bat. And things went as well as you would expect. The ground and the pitch just cleared of the effects of rain was an unknown quantity. And the shortened game added to the uncertainty as Kandy managed a decent 78 for 5 in their seven overs. After a number of jitters, Jaffna Kings finally got to score with seven balls to spare.
Rain, Rain Go Away
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It was bound to happen sooner, rather than later. The capital Colombo had been drenched in incessant rains over the past few months, and the Lanka Premier League’s move to the capital meant that some games were going to be affected. As it happened, it turned out to be the first game in the capital city. With a long rain delay, the game was eventually shortened to seven overs per side, just two over the minimum requirement of five.
At this point, some might be aware of the T10 format—a newer, and as the name indicates an even shorter version of cricket. With only 10 overs per side, both teams blast away from ball one. Well, that was what was on show at the R. Premadase in Colombo yesterday. Both sides were forced to attack from the word go. So when it comes to who will come out on top, leaving aside a batting collapse, it came down to tactics. An area where Jaffna came good.
The Spin Strategy Fails for Kandy
Having posted a respectable, 78 in 7 overs, the Kandy bowlers had something to defend. And since cricket, as we know is a game of fine margins, getting the tactics spot on, especially in the shorter formats of the game is crucial. This is where Kandy, notably captain Wanindu Hasaranga came up short. Since there were only seven overs, and one bowler was allowed a maximum of two, one would think that the bowling side would go with a pace-first approach.
This was not to be in the case of Kandy. For some reason, captain Hasaranga decided to go with Andre Fletcher as the fourth bowling option. This was a bad decision. A choice made worse by his decision to bowl part-time medium pacer Dasun Shanaka, instead of more recognized bowlers in the side like Muhammad Hasnain and Shoriful Islam. This proved to be the undoing for the Kandy side, as Jaffna piled on the runs against their replacement bowlers. And despite losing one too many wickets by the end, Jaffna Kings were always a step ahead of the game.
Sixes Seal the Deal for Jaffna Kings
In a game such as this one would expect the batting side to come hard at the bowling. And Jaffna, despite being bogged down by the loss of early wickets, notably the powerful top order consisting of Pathum Nissanka, Rilee Rossouw, and Kusal Mendis cheaply, the team recovered thanks to blazing innings by captain Charith Asalanka, who top scored with 26 off 09 inclusive of four sixes, aided by Azmatullah Omarzai who blasted 24 off 06 deliveries with three sixes. With the win Jaffna Kings go top, and are now virtually assured of a playoff spot. Things are a bit different for Kandy, who is now in trouble.
