Bopara takes Stars across the line after Chandimal, Asalanka set Colombo up for win

Having fallen seven runs short of the target against the Jaffna Kings on Monday, the Colombo Stars completed a remarkable run chase against the Galle Gladiators yesterday at the Pallekele International Stadium, plundering 111 runs off the last ten overs to record their second win in this year’s Lanka Premier League.  

While they were left tottering on 70 for 7 against the Gladiators on Monday before Angelo Mathews and Ben Howell pulled things back for the Stars, yesterday the Colombo team’s batting was more assured, a partnership of 92 for the second wicket between Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka keeping their team in the game, albeit behind the required run rate.  

Chandimal was the chief aggressor in that partnership, scoring at a rate of 190, making 63 off 33 balls before he was dismissed in the 11th over.  

26 runs off the next three overs pushed the required rate to over 12 runs an over, with the wickets of Asalanka and Dominic Drakes threatening to only make the Stars’ task all the more harder.  

Howell however hit the ground running in trying to build some momentum for Colombo, striking 17 runs in the 15th over, but was caught in the next over as the Gladiators fought back, leaving the Stars needing 50 off the last four overs.  

The Stars wiped out 20 runs over the next 12 balls, but that did nothing to reduce the required run rate which reached 15 for the final two overs.  

The experienced, calm head of Englishman Ravi Bopara then produced exactly what the Stars needed, with the 19th over going for 22 runs, striking three boundaries and a six – an extended over thanks to the three wides bowled by Wahab Riaz.  

With just eight needed off the final six balls, the Stars appeared to have the match in the bag, particularly after Seekkuge Prasanna clubbed the first ball for a six to reduce the equation to 2 off 5.  

But a dot ball and two wickets in three deliveries teased a tense finish, only for Bopara to get himself back on strike to score the winning boundary off the final ball.  

Batting first, the Galle Gladiators’ top order was dialed in, with the top four making significant contributions towards the total, with captain Kusal Mendis and Asad Shafiq making half-centuries.  

Mendis’ fifty was his second for this season, and his highest score of the two, showing a remarkable change of pace in scoring.  

His first 39 runs came in 31 balls as the Gladiators reached the half-way point of their innings on 83 for 1.  

Eight balls later, he reached his half-century, before adding another 22 runs off the next 10 balls he faced, falling off the penultimate ball of the innings, having been at the crease for almost all of the Gladiators’ 20 overs.

Chief scores

Galle Gladiators 193 for 5 in 20 overs (Thanuka Dabare 33, Kusal Mendis 72, Asad Shafiq 58, Naveen-ul-Haq 2 for 33, Seekkuge Prasanna 1 for 22, Kasun Rajitha 1 for 32)
Colombo Stars 197 for 8 in 20 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 63, Charith Asalanka 46, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Thushara 3 for 29, Wahab Riaz 1 for 61, Anwar Ali 3 for 44)