The first match of Monday’s double header in the 2023 Lanka Premier League was played between Galle Titans and Dambulla Aura. Kusal Perera, Dambulla Aura skipper, won the toss and decided to bowl first. The Titans set a 181-run target for their opponents, thanks to Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 34-ball 48-run knock.
A snake found its way to the field during the match and halted the proceedings. The incident took place during the second innings of the game.
The fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League kickstarted with a thrilling encounter between Jaffna Kings and Colombo Strikers at the Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on July 30, Sunday. Notably, the match was a replay of the final of the previous edition, where the Kings won by two wickets to clinch a hat-trick of LPL titles.
Meanwhile, the Thisara Perera-led Jaffna Kings were invited to bat first after losing the toss in the tournament opener. Twohid Hridoy (54 off 39) played a significant knock in the first innings as the Kings posted 173. Naseem Shah, Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Karunaratne, and Lakshan Sandakan each took one wicket for the Strikers.
In reply, Colombo Strikers got off to a solid start despite losing two wickets early. Skipper Niroshan Dickwella led his side from the front, scoring 58 off 34 including nine boundaries and one six. Meanwhile, the defending champions have heavily relied on Hardus Viljoen, who finished with figures of 3/31. Dilshan Madushanka and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth also picked two wickets as Jaffna Kings limited their opponents by 152 in 19.4 overs.
