LPL 2024 | Pretorious' four-wicket haul and Seifert-Liyanage alliance propel Galle to Finals

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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Galle Marvels beat Jaffna Kings by seven wickets and secured their place in the finals of the Lanka Premier League. Dwaine Pretorius’ four-wicket hall restricted the Jaffna Kings to 177/7 while Galle chased the target in 18.1 overs under the back of Tim Sierfert and Janith Liyanage.

‌‌Brief Scores: GM 181/3 (18.1) [Seifert 62 (41), Liyanage 56 (36); Shamsi 1/27 (3.1)] defeat JK 177/7  (20) [Avishka 52 (33), Kusal 46 (29); Pretorious 4/23 (4)] by seven wickets

As the LPL nears its conclusion, Galle Marvels and Jaffna Kings faced off in Qualifier 1 in Colombo. Galle Marvels captain Niroshan Dickwella won the toss and chose to field first. This decision paid off early when they dismissed the in-form Pathum Nissanka in the third over. However, Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis accelerated the scoring, bringing the total to 49/1 by the end of the powerplay. While the pair built a solid partnership of 61 runs, Galle's Isuru Udana claimed Rossouw's wicket in the ninth over. With Mendis and Avishka Fernando at the crease, Jaffna Kings reached 89/2 at the halfway mark. The Marvels maintained their form with the ball during the middle overs, dismissing Mendis and Charith Asalanka. Despite this, Avishka Fernando showcased his excellent form this season by scoring his fourth half-century in 32 balls. Jaffna then lost the wickets of Fernando, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Fabian Allen in the 18th and 20th overs, finishing with 177/7 in 20 overs.

In response, the Marvels started strong with Alex Hales and Niroshan Dickwella reaching 25/0 in just two overs. However, Azmatullah Omarzai disrupted their momentum by taking the wicket of the Galle skipper in the third over, bringing Tim Seifert to the crease. The Hales-Seifert pair then formed a solid 41-run partnership during the powerplay, taking the score to 70/2 in six overs before Hales was dismissed after scoring 36 off 21 balls. By the 10-over mark, Galle Marvels were 102/2 with Seifert and Janith Liyanage at the crease. Needing 53 runs from the last seven overs, the Marvels aimed to finish strong with eight wickets in hand. Seifert and Liyanage accelerated the chase, pushing the score to 138/2 in 14 overs. With Jaffna on the brink of defeat, Liyanage reached a 33-ball fifty, and Seifert followed with his half-century in 36 deliveries by the 16th over. The game seemed firmly in Galle's favour, requiring just 17 runs from the last four overs. Tabraiz Shamsi broke the 92-run partnership by dismissing Liyanage in the 17th over, but Seifert saw the Marvels through securing the win in 18.1 overs by seven wickets. With this victory, Galle Marvels advanced to the finals, set to be played on Sunday, while Jaffna Kings will compete in Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Eliminator game.

 Kncok from them

Finally

For sure?

Masterclass

Dominated

Fantastic performance

Winner

In good form

In Sri Lanka

Bowling first

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