JAFFNA KINGS TAKE RECORD 4th LPL TITLE by 9-WKT WIN
By Srian Obeyesekere
Jaffna Kings won a humdinger final over Galle Marvels in the 2024 Premier League for a record fourth title racing to 185 for 1 wicket in a fitting bout of night cricket heightened by great batsmanship from both camps to a roaring capacity crowd last night at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium with Rilee Rossouw’s bludgeoning 44-ball fastest LPL century to 106 off 53 blitzkrieg ignited by 7 over the top and 9 boundaries and Kusal Mendis’ 72 off 40 with 8 boundaries and 2 over the top making the difference between Galle’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s blazing 34-ball 82 lampooned by 6 over the top and 8 to the ropes when the right-hander batted his side out of a troubled 4 for 86 together with Tim Seifert 47 off 37 with 4 over the top and 2 across.
Indeed, the first session purely belonged to the 32-year-old Rajapaksa belted the Jafnna Kings attack at will like a circus man leaping about to running between the wickets to good effect to silencing his critics who had written off the left-hander as unfit for national duty. His dazzling stroke play was exemplified by a sixer hitting orgy that fetched him 4 off an over by Jaffna Kings skipper Charith Asalanka with an early on shot of the day classic hoisting of pacer Asitha Fernando square of the wicket to the stands in the fleetest of minute timing followed by a boundary in the 13th over to racing to 34 off 14.
Of course, Rossouw-Mendis unfinished fireworks 185 second-wicket bonding off 93 balls having come together following Pathum Nissanka’s first ball dismissal justified Jaffna Kings decision to chase, took the drama to the next level with the 34-year old South African left-hander’s blade flashing about like a swordsman taking the bowlers to the cleaners.
As oft as it is in the game of cricket of losing valour, Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s virtual lone effort but for Seifert’s lending to the fourth-wicket 62 off 32, would remain memorable to the die-hards of the game to coming to the show from dire 3 for 24 situation by the fifth ball of the seventh over by the removal of the top three in skipper Niroshan Dickwella bowled for 5 by Jason Behrendorff who went on to send back Alex Hales for 6 caught by Dhananjaya de Silva and Janith Liyanage removed by Asitha Fernando for 7 to a catch by Fabian Allen. His batsmanship or more aptly descriptive showmanship is best magnified by the 72-fifth-wicket partnership off 30 between Sahan Arachchige whose contribution was just 16.
CHIEF SCORES:
Galle Marvels 184/6 (20 Overs) (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 82, Tim Seifert 47, Sahan Arachchige 16, Dwaine Pretorius n.o. 12, Isuru Udana n.o. 2, Asitha Fernando 3/35, Jason Behrendorff 2/18, AzmatullahOmarzai 1/29)
Jaffna Kings 185/1 (15.4 Overs) Rilee Rossouw n.o. 106, Kusal Mendis n.o. 72, Dwaine Pretorius 1/18)
