Top two teams take on the bottom two today

Danushka Gunathilaka (Galle Gladiators) – The leading run scorer with 322 runs from 6 matches

• Tuskers boosted by Dale Steyn’s inclusion; rejuvenated Gladiators look to continue winning ways

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Thanks to the unusual rain experienced in this part of the country – Hambantota on Monday, the My11Circle Lanka Premier League (LPL) table leaders Jaffna Stallions and runner-up Dambulla Viiking shared the two points and have opened up a one point advantage over third placed Colombo Kings, who surprisingly lost to a rejuvenated Galle Gladiators to give them their first win of the competition after five matches.

Five losses in a row did not augur well for the Gladiators who had lost their captain Shahid Afridi when he had to leave due to a family emergency in the middle of the tournament. Afridi’s void was a hard one to fill for the acting captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa and despite losing to the Stallions and the Viiking, they managed to turn it around against the Kings and fashion out a convincing eight wicket win; a win that has given them some breathing space and a chance to qualify as the fourth team in the semi-finals. 

However, there is more work to be done for the Gladiators as they are only marginally ahead on run rate of the Kandy Tuskers who also have one win and are also battling for the important fourth spot.

The two teams at the bottom of the table, the Tuskers and the Gladiators, will take on the top two sides the Stallions and the Viiking respectively in today’s double header. While the Stallions and the Viiking will want to win and top the standings, the Tuskers and the Gladiators will also equally be looking at a similar result to bolster their chances of qualifying for the knockout round.

Galle Gladiators’ and the tournament’s leading run-getter Danushka Gunathilaka (322 runs from 6 matches) put their win over Colombo down to a vastly improved performance on the field. 

“We told our bowlers to try and keep the opposition down to around 170-180 and we can win the contest. Thankfully, Mohammed Amir bowled well and also the entire bowling group and especially we did well on the field as a unit and our middle order also fired.  That was what was missing in our cricket in the previous matches,” said Gunathilaka. 

“We knew that at any time our middle order batsmen would fire, but more than that it was our fielding. Our effort was not enough, we leaked at least 20 runs in the first four games and by doing so we put ourselves under undue pressure. Twenty runs in a T20 contest is a big amount. Yesterday, after the win we said we won the contest not because of our batting or bowling but because of our fielding. 

“Amir also managed to get five wickets because of our fielding. That was the big difference in our approach and it is what we hope to achieve in our next two matches. If we do well on the field it won’t be difficult for us to win,” he said.

After today’s game the Gladiators will wind up their round robin league fixtures playing the Tuskers on 10 December.

Meanwhile, the Kandy Tuskers will be boosted by the inclusion of South African fast bowling legend Dale Steyn, who has completed the quarantine period and is available for selection. Steyn’s return could not have come at a better time for the Tuskers, who like the Gladiators, need to win their last two round robin league matches to qualify for a place in the semi-final.

“We had our ups and downs during the tournament, but since Dale has joined us we are looking a formidable side. He brings in his experience and we all know how devastating his pace can be. He also brings in so many options, his knowledge and everything and he is sharing it with us. It is really good for all the cricketers, especially the locals,” said Tuskers coach Hashan Tillakaratne.

Talking of today’s game against the Stallions, Tillakaratne said: “In the first few games our fielding and bowling let us down and in the last game it was our batting, so we need to improve in all three departments. We have 100 percent confidence about tomorrow’s game because we were hampered with a few injuries, but everything is under control and we are looking forward for tomorrow’s game.

“We had a very good bonding session with the boys last night and we have got the team together. We want to play to our potential and if we play to our potential there will be a good result. The next two games are very important to us, it is just that we need to play our best cricket. We are not worried about what other teams do, we are worried about our own performance, so we need to put our best foot forward and play very good cricket. That’s the need of the hour,” said Tillakaratne.

Dale Steyn’s return will boost the Kandy Tuskers