Colombo, July 15 (IANS): The Colombo Strikers returned to winning ways with an emphatic 9-wicket victory over the Jaffna Kings in the ongoing Lanka Premier League 2024 at the R Premadasa Stadium, here on Sunday.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shadab Khan starred in the comprehensive victory for the Strikers, who chased down a below-par target of 110 in just 9.5 overs. This win keeps the Thisara Perera-led side in third place on the points table with three wins from six games.

Chasing the modest target, opener Angelo Perera set the tone with a quick 16 off 8 balls before being dismissed early. His opening partner, Gurbaz, along with Muhammad Waseem, kept the scoring rate high despite some rain interruptions. By the end of the powerplay, the Strikers were cruising at 66/1, with Gurbaz in dominant form.

The unbeaten partnership between Gurbaz and Waseem of 87 runs from just 45 balls ensured that the Strikers reached their target inside 10 overs, significantly boosting their net run rate.

Gurbaz, the explosive Afghan batter, remained unbeaten on 57 off 33 balls, hitting four sixes and four boundaries. He completed his fifty in just 30 deliveries, and with support from Waseem (35 off 18 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes), the Strikers finished the game (112/1 in 9.5 overs) with 61 balls to spare.

Earlier, Colombo Strikers' bowlers put on a clinical performance, restricting the Jaffna Kings to 109 for 9 in their 20 overs. The decision to bowl first paid off as the Strikers' bowlers kept a tight leash on the Jaffna batters. Binura Fernando and Shadab Khan were the standout performers, with Fernando finishing with figures of 2 for 24.

Shadab Khan delivered a brilliant spell, taking 4 for 10 from his four overs. The Pakistani all-rounder, who already has a hat-trick in this edition, nearly claimed another, dismissing Avishka Fernando and Fabian Allen off consecutive balls in the 9th over, narrowly missing his second hat-trick as batter Vijayakanth Viyaskanth found himself lucky.

Shadab's performance in the middle overs was instrumental in dismantling the Jaffna Kings' middle-order. Matheesha Pathirana, Thishara Perera, and Isitha Wijesundera also chipped in with one wicket each, maintaining pressure throughout the innings. The disciplined bowling performance from the Strikers ensured the Jaffna Kings were restricted to a below-par score.

Jaffna Kings struggled to establish a solid footing in their innings. Opener Pathum Nissanka managed just 3 runs off 3 balls before being dismissed by Binura Fernando. Kusal Mendis offered some resistance with a brisk 17 off 11 balls, but contributions from other top-order batsmen were minimal. Key players like Rilee Rossouw (0), Avishka Fernando (11 off 15), and captain Charith Asalanka (13 off 12) failed to build significant partnerships.

In the middle and lower order, Viyaskanth provided some resistance with an unbeaten 25 off 24 balls, but he lacked support from his teammates. The Kings' innings never gained momentum, finishing at 109 for 9, setting up a manageable chase for the Colombo Strikers, who executed their plan to perfection and secured a commanding victory.

Brief Score:

Jaffna Kings 109/9 in 20 overs (Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 25, Kusal Mendis 17; Shadab Khan 4-10, Binura Fernando 2-24) lost to Colombo Strikers 112/1 in 9.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 57, Muhammad Waseem 35; Pramod Madushan 1/26) by 9 wickets.