By Srian Obeyesekere
Tim Seifert pounded 74 off 39 balls with 5 over the top and an equal number of boundaries as the 28-year old New Zealand star showed no love for the B-Love Kandy attack in powering Galle Titans to back to back wins coasting home by 83 runs in yesterday’s night fixture to lead the Sri Lanka Cricket 2023 Lanka Premier League Tournament with 4 points. Taking strike at No.4 with the Titans not so well placed at 60 for 3 after 9.2 overs, Seifert put on 95 for the fourth-wicket with Shakib Al Hasan who made 30 off 21 sending two over the top. Upfront, opener Shevon Daniel made 25 off 31 with 3 boundaries and a six in the wake of the 33 in the previous game won by the Titans in a tied Super Over thriller.
Kandy fell apart in face of a hostile Kasun Rajitha 2 for 8 spell off 2 overs removing opening batsman Dinesh Chandimal for a second ball duck and one drop Kamindu Mendis for 3 before Richard Ngaraya accounted for Angelo Mathews for 9 and Lahiru Samarakoon sent back opener Thanuka Dabare for 12. When skipper Wanindu Hasaranga became Ngaraya’s second victim Kandy was reeling on 36 for 5 after only 6 overs that hastened the clean up.
CHIEF SCORES:
Galle Titans 180/5 (20 Overs)
(Tim Seifert 74, Shakib Al Hasan 30, Shevon Daniel 25, Lasith Croospulle 11, Dasun Shanaka n.o. 9, Lahiru Samarakoon n.o. 6, Mohammad Hasnain 1/26, Wanindu Hasaranga 1/27, Aamer Jamal 1/43)
B-Love Kandy (97 17.1 Overs)
(Ashen Bandara 27, Usuru Udana 16, Thanuka Dabare 12, Kasun Rajitha 2/8, Shakib Al Hasan 2/10, Richard Ngaraya 2/15, Tabraiz Shamsi 2/20, Lahiru Samarakoon 1/8, Akiljaya Dananjaya 1/21)
