Afif Hossain hit a Player of the Match 54 off 35 balls and pace bowler Binura Fernando took 3 wickets for 20 as Jaffna Kings pulled off a 16-run win over Galle Gladiators in the day-night 17th fixture of the Lanka Premier League 2022 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The 23-year old Bangladesh left-hander, who broke into big stage T20 cricket in 2017 with a match winning 26-ball 52 against Zimbabwe, struck 5 boundaries and a six and was sixth out with the score 161 after 13 2 overs as the Kings totalled 170 for 8 off 20 overs. Sadeera Samarawickrama made 32 off 28 with 2 boundaries while Skipper Thisara Perera added the tempo with a breezy 28 off 13 inclusive of 4 boundaries after upfront openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz 23 off 19 with 3 boundaries and a six and Avishka Fernando 18 off 15 with 2 boundaries and a six had added 31 for the first wicket. Wahab Riaz was the pick of the Gladiators howlers taking 3 for 37 followed by,Nuwan Thushara 2 for 31 and Nuwan Pradeep 1 for 32.

Galle Gladiators lost their way losing 4 wickets for 65 after 8.3 overs despite a 45-ball 58 by Skipper Kusal Mendis who struck 7 boundaries and a six. Binura Fernando caused the rot accounting for Thanuka Dabare for 2 and Lahiru Udara for a duck upfront. The next best contributions were by Ifthikar Ahmed 23 and Nuwanidu Fernando 22. Wahab Riaz struck two blows over the top in his 13 while Imad Wasim made 14 down the line but the Gladiators were short of the final momentum finishing on 159 for 9 after 20.

CHIEF SCORES: Jaffna Kings 170/8 (20 Overs) (Afif Hossain 54, Sadeera Samarawickrama 32, Thisara Perera 26, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 23, Avishka Fernando 18, Wahab Riaz 3/37, Nuwan Thushara 2/31, Nuwan Pradeep 1/32) Galle Gladiators 154/9 (20 Overs) (Kusal Mendis 58, Ifthikar Ahmed 23, Nuwanidu Fernando 22, Wahab Riaz 13, Asad Shafiq 10, Binura Fernando 3/20, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 2/27, James Fuller 2/57, Maheesh Theekshana 1/15)