By Srian Obeyesekere

Yesterday’s Lanka Premier League game between Jaffna Kings and Dambulla Strikers turned out to be a virtual one-man battle by the Strikers Lisa Hendricks whose 50-ball 80 ultimately was a lost cause by 30 runs in the face of their opponent’s playmaker and Player of the Match Pathum Nissanka’s 53-ball 88 powered by 9 boundaries and 4 sixes in the 30-run victory with cameo support from Avishka Fernando 57 off  30 by 5 over the top and 3 across chasing down the Kings 218 for 5 wickets in the 8th squaring up at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. 

It further insulated the Kings with 3 wins to topping the points table.

Indeed, if the Nisanka-Fernando’s impacting 54-ball 100-run third-wicket bonding set up the Kings victory charge,  Hendricks’ upfront innings from the very first delivery that produced 33 fo the first-wicket together with Kusal Janith Perera (16, 7b, 3×4) did not find the desired sustenance with the next best being Mark Chapman’s 30 off 17 (5×4) with the three-pronged Kings attack of Aitha Fernando 2 for 25, Tabraiz Shamsi 2 for 26 and Pramod Madushan 2 for 48 containing Dambulla to 188 for 8.

CHIEF SCORES: Jaffna Kings 218/5 (20 Overs) RR: 10.90 

(Pathum Nissanka 88, Avishka Fernando 57, Kusal Mendis 18, Azmatullah Omarzai n.o.19, Charith Asalanka 13, Rilee Rossouw 12, Mustafizur Rahman 2/39, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 1/11, Dushan Hemantha 1/38, Nuwan Thushara 1/48)

Dambulla Sixers 188/8 (20 Overs) 

(Reeza Hendricks 80, Mark Chapman 30, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 20, Kusal Janith Perera 16, Nuwanidu Fernando 16, Mustafizur Rahman n.o. 1, Asitha Fernando 2/25, Tabraiz Shams 2/26, Pramod Madushan 2/48, Fabian Allen q/39, Azmatullah Omarzai 1/46)