Lanka Premier League Jaffna Stallions, Colombo Kings, Dambulla Viiking battle for top slot

By M. Shamil Amit 

The teams contesting in the ongoing Lanka Premier League T20 tournament will get into the field today to contest the sixth round of matches. Three teams Jaffna Stallions, Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking have succeeded to win four matches each and the battle today will be for the top slot. 

The three teams have accumulated the same number of points of eight and Jaffna Stallions by virtue of their better run rate are on top followed by Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking with Kandy Tuskers in fourth and winless Galle Gladiators in the fifth and last position. 

Colombo Kings will meet Galle Gladiators in the first match scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m. which will be followed by the match between Jaffna Stallions and Dambulla Viiking at 8:00 p.m. 

Of the two encounters the pick will be no doubt be the match between Jaffna Stallions and Dambulla Viiking.
The Viiking’s will be coming to the game with immense confidence as they were the team to inflict the defeat of second placed Colombo Kings so with that record they cannot be taken lightly and added to that they have won three matches on the trot against Colombo Kings, Kandy Tuskers and Wooden Spoonist Galle Gladiators which they prevailed in a high scoring game on Saturday. 

The two teams posses top notch players with the Stallions spearheaded by man in form Avishka Fernando who has scored 209 runs inclusive of two half tons with a top score of an unbeaten 92 against Galle Gladiators, skipper Thisara Perera who has made 192 runs also with two half tons, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Tom Moores, Shoaib Malik and Chathuranga de Silva. 

The Stallions bowling will revolve around their all-rounder and top wicket take of the tournament so far Wanindu Hasaranga who has taken nine scalps, Usman Shinwari and Duanne Olivier.  The Viiking’s on the other hand will pin their hopes on their top scorer skipper Dasun Shanaka who has scored 234 runs with two half tons, Upul Tharanga (154), Samit Patel (141), Niroshan Dickwella and Paul Stirling who both have been unable to make any impression so far. 

Their bowling will be in the hands of Anwar Ali who has seven scalps and Malinda Pushpakumara (5) to curtail the strong Stallions batting. However with the two teams in quest for the top slot an interesting tussle on the cards. 
In the second match of the day the Colombo Kings are favourites to come out with success against the winless Galle Gladiators who crashed to their fifth successive defeat on Saturday. 

The first match between these two teams saw the Kings pulling off a close four runs win on the D/L method in a rain affected game but this time out they should prevail with ease due to the fact that they are coming into the game with a comfortable seven wicket win against Kandy Tuskers played on Saturday. 

Dinesh Chandimal their top scorer who has scored 183 runs inclusive of two half tons will be the cynosure of all eyes and the Kings will be expecting him to put in another match winning performance along with Andre Russell (126), Laurie Evans, Isuru Udana, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Ashan Priyanjan to make their contributions. 
In the bowling department Qais Ahmad their top wicket-taker with seven scalps along with Dushmantha Chameera, Isuru Udana, Tharindu Kaushal, and Andre Russell will be expected to combine in restricting the Gladiators batting. 

In the bowling department the Colombo Kings have a host of spinners who could turn the game in favour of them in the likes of Qais Ahmad, Tharindu Kaushal, Amila Aponso and Jeffrey Vandersay with pacies Isuru Udana, Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad to support them. 

For the Gladiators opener Dhanushka Gunatileke has been their top batsman who is the top batsman of the tournament having accumulated 284 runs inclusive of three half tons and he has performed credibly which has been in vain. 

If they are to make any impression the other batsmen Azam Khan, Shehan Jayasuriya and skipper Bhanuka Rajapakse who has been a failure so far will need to loosen their belts to bolster their batting while in the bowling Mohammad Amir, Asitha Fernando and Mohamed Shiraz will have to combine to prevent their opponents from having things their own way.