PALLEKELE (Agencies): Shadab Khan decimated Kandy Falcons with a hat-trick and led Colombo Strikers to a thumping 51-run victory in the third match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 here on Tuesday.
The Falcons were on course to chase down the 199-run target as they were 140/5 in 14 overs with skipper Wanindu Hasaranga at the crease. But Shadab Khan turned the game on its head with a hat-trick as the Falcons were reduced to 146/8 at the end of the 15th over.
Dunith Wellalage, who was equally exceptional, took two wickets in the next over to take the Strikers home. Both Shadab and Wellalage bagged four wickets each while Glenn Phillips and Binura Fernando chipped in with a wicket apiece as Colombo Strikers booked Kandy Falcons on 147 to kick off their LPL 2024 with a victory.
In-form batter Dinesh Chandimal once again top-scored for the Falcons as he scored 38 off 26 deliveries.
Besides him, skipper Hasaranga (25), Angelo Mathews (25) and Andre Fletcher (24) made notable contributions while the rest of the Falcons’ batters failed to make it into the double figures.
Put into bat first, the Strikers registered a massive total of 198/7 on the board, courtesy of a combined effort from their batters. Leading the way was wicketkeeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama, who played a blazing knock of 48, coming off on 26 balls with the help of seven fours and a six.
Samarawickrama was supported in the act by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) international Muhammad Waseem as together they raised a quickfire 78-run partnership for the third wicket.
Waseem scored an 18-ball 32, peppered with two fours and two sixes.
Thisara Perera (38 off 30) and Shadab Khan (20 off 17) played anchoring knocks before Chamika Karunaratne bolstered the total with late fireworks.
Karunaratne smashed two fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 25 off 10. For the Falcons, Hasaranga and Kasun Rajitha picked two wickets each while Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera and Agha Salman made one scalp apiece.
The resounding 51-run victory took Colombo Strikers to the top of the LPL 2024 standings with two points while Kandy Falcons remained third with as many points.
