Hambantota Bangla Tigers shock Jaffna Titans to win Lanka T10 title
Hambantota Bangla Tigers shocked high running favorites Jaffna Titans to lifting the inaugural Lanka T10 Super League Championship title winning the final by 26 runs by running up 133 for 7 wickets after being put in to bat and restricting their opponents to 107 for 6 in the 10 overs yesterday at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium.
Former England cap Richard Gleespn put Hambantota on the road to victory by claiming both openers Tom Kohler Cadmore and the inform Kusal Mendis cheaply.
Hambantota’s Bangla Tigers133 for 7 was courtesy some power-hitting from Mohammad Shahzad, captain Dasun Shanaka, Shevon Daniel which was followed by a late surge from Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan.
Openers Shahzad who struck 26 off 11 and Kusal Perera stitched an opening stand of 35 runs in 4.2 overs but lost a few wickets in regular intervals to get reduced to 59/3. Shanaka then joined hands with Daniel and the two scored a partnership of 44 runs for the fourth wicket before the skipper eventually departed for 21 off 10. Daniel struck 26 off 15.
Later, Lewis (10 off 4) and Lakshan (10* off 2) then pushed the paddle and contributed some valuable runs lower down the order.
The Titans never really had the start they wanted barring the first over where the side managed to collect 17 runs. They lost wickets at regular intervals and were pushed on the backfoot by the Hambantota bowlers. Richard Gleeson was the pick of the bowlers after he returned with figures of 3/21 in two overs while Shanaka scalped a couple of wickets for 4 runs in one over.
Tom Abell was the lone warrior for Jaffna as he returned unbeaten at 54 off 27.