Dambulla Viiking with their nerve tingling win over Galle Gladiators on Wednesday occupied the top position of the points table and will take on Colombo Kings in the final round robin match today, as they along with Jaffna Stallions and Colombo Kings qualified to play in the semifinal of the ‘My11Circle’ Lanka Premier League(LPL) which is scheduled to be played on December 13 and 14 at the MRICS, Hambanthotha.
After restricting the Galle Gladiators to a modest total of 168 for the loss of seven wickets, Dambulla lads cruised to victory in the last ball of the innings when Samiullah Shinwari hitting the winning run with a boundary in his swashbuckling inning of unbeaten 46 runs to put them on the top of the League points table with eleven points in their seven outing so far. The 33-year old Afghan all-rounder smashed six boundaries and two towering sixes in his 20 ball stay at the crease. Opener Niroshan Dickwella (38) and Angelo Perera (45) played a pivotal role with the bat on their way to victory.
They now will take on the Colombo Kings in their final round robin game which will have no burden on their upcoming fixtures. Today’s game will undoubtedly be an ideal opportunity for them to test their players on the bench before they embark on to the big games in the semifinal stage.
On the other hand, Colombo Kings too have secured a place in the semis but will have to maintain their winning streak. After the cracking first few matches they had mixed fortunes losing two games in their six matches so far. Undoubtedly they possess one of the well balanced sides imbibed with talented players locally and internationally. The big guns likes Andre Russell, Laurie Evans and Angelo Mathwes who chipped in with valuable knocks will have to come out with some match winning innings. Nevertheless, they are a side capable of creating upsets and the final line up for the match by both sides will be known before the commencement of the game. Jaffna Stallions is the third team to qualify for the semifinal securing the second slot in the points table with nine points in their seven outings so far.
Meanwhile, there will be a tug-of-war in finding the fourth team to enter the semis which will be between Kandy Tuskers and Galle Gladiators. Kandy Tuskers team managed to notch up their second win while Galle Gladiators came closer on two occasions but failed to make an impact. If the Kandy team could pull a win, it would take them to the semis and if they lose, then the team with the best net run rate would qualify for the next stage of the competition.
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