By Marlon Dale Ferreira
In a gripping encounter at Colombo’s cricket ground, the Colombo Strikers displayed a dominant performance to defeat the Galle Marvels in the latest match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024.
Opting to bat first, the Galle Marvels got off to a shaky start as opener Niroshan Dickwella fell early, caught by AK Perera off Binura Fernando’s bowling. Despite contributions from Tim Seifert, who scored a brisk 44, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s explosive 35, Galle struggled to capitalize on their innings. Matheesha Pathirana’s brilliant bowling wreaked havoc on Galle’s middle-order, claiming 4 crucial wickets for just 20 runs, restricting them to 138 all out in 19.5 overs.
Chasing a modest target of 139 runs for victory, Colombo Strikers got off to a solid start with Rahmanullah Gurbaz leading the charge with 23 runs off 17 balls. Angelo Perera and Muhammad Waseem contributed quickfire knocks, but it was Waseem’s resilient 50 off 44 balls that anchored Colombo’s innings. Despite losing a few wickets, Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten 31 guided Colombo Strikers to a comfortable victory with 10 balls to spare.
For Galle Marvels, Dwaine Pretorius and Shadab Khan bowled economically but couldn’t break through the Strikers’ determined batting lineup. In contrast, Colombo’s bowlers, led by Maheesh Theekshana and Isuru Udana, kept the Marvels under pressure throughout their innings.
The victory marks a crucial win for the Colombo Strikers, propelling them up the LPL 2024 points table. Galle Marvels, meanwhile, will look to regroup and bounce back stronger in their upcoming matches.
This match showcased thrilling cricketing action and demonstrated the competitive spirit of both teams in the ongoing LPL tournament.
- Chief Score
Galle Marvels :- 139/10 (19.5) – Niroshan Dickwella 10(13), Tim Seifert 44(38), Bhanuka Rajapaksha 35(15), Janith Liyanage 13(11) – Matheesha Pathirana 4-20, Shadab Khan 2-20, Dunith Wellalage 2-30.
Colomb Strikers :- 142/3 (18.2) – Rahmanullah Gurbaz 23(17), Muhammad Waseem 50(44), Glenn Phillips 31(32), Sadeera Samarawickrama 15(12) – Isuru Udana 1-50, Maheesh Theekshana 1-17, Sahan Arachchige 1-9
Player of the match :- Matheesha Pathirana
