In a heart-stopping game that went down to the wire at Dambulla, Jaffna Kings defeated Galle Marvels by five wickets with only two balls to spare in the 6th match of the Lanka Premier League. The game was filled with brilliant displays from both sides, but it was Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round heroics that stood out.
Galle Marvels Set a Competitive Target
Niroshan Dickwella and his boys set a challenging target for Jaffna Kings, as they piled up 187/5 on the board in their stipulated 20 overs. The innings was held together by a brilliant knock from Tim Seifert, who was unbeaten on 104 runs scored off just 63 balls. His innings were laced with 12 fours and six sixes, as he once again showed his class in dismantling the bowlers of the opposition team.
Dickwella began to attack but was dismissed on 12 after being caught by Pramod Madushan. Alex Hales smashed 23 from just 11 balls, but Azmatullah Omarzai took care of the opener in a hurry. Bhanuka Rajapaksa put on a valuable 28 while Sahan Arachchige and Janith Liyanage chipped in with minor contributions as Omarzai was the stand-out bowler for the Jaffna Stallions with two wickets for 33 runs from his four-over spell as both Madushan and Fabian Allen took one each.
Jaffna Kings Chase Down 188 Target
The Jaffna Kings got off to a good start in the chase of 188, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis adding 25 for the first wicket. Nissanka was out for 12 after falling to Zahoor Khan, while Mendis kept up with the momentum and gathered a brisk 30 off 16 balls. His wicket going down at 59 left Rilee Rossouw in the middle to make a responsible knock, playing 67 from 42 balls, including eight fours and three sixes.
The wickets, though, kept falling at regular intervals, but Jaffna managed to keep a healthy run rate. Avishka Fernando chipped in with 14, and Alex Ross contributed 13 before being castled by Maheesh Theekshana. The match reached a tense climax when Rossouw was dismissed at 142, with Jaffna requiring 46 runs from the last 22 balls.
That is when Azmatullah Omarzai brought out his class and picked the winning innings by scoring 35* off just 13 balls. His innings contained four boundaries and two sixes, getting the Jaffna Kings over the line with two balls to spare. Captain Charith Asalanka supported him well with 14* off eight balls. Zahoor Khan was the pick among bowlers for Galle Marvels, picking up 2 for 33 runs. Pretorius, Udana, and Theekshana could pick up one wicket each, but those were never enough to pull Jaffna back in their spirited chase.
Player of the Match – Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai rightly took the title of Player of the Match after he scored 35* runs in 13 balls, along with picking up two wickets for 33. His contribution has been enormous in Jaffna Kings’ thrillers, vindicating the importance of the player in the tournament. The win pushes Jaffna Kings up on the log, proving them to be good contenders to watch in this year’s Lanka Premier League.
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