Kamindu Mendis’s superb 44-run innings and a team effort from the bowlers helped B-Love Kandy defeat Dambulla Aura by five wickets to claim the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2023 championship.
B-Love Kandy win maiden LPL title: In the LPL 2023 final rematch between the two top-placed teams, B-Love Kandy prevailed despite playing without their in-form skipper Wanindu Hasaranga, the tournament’s best run-scorer and wicket-taker.
The top performers After winning the toss, Dambulla Aura decided to bat first.
However, their batting squad was unable to support their choice to bat first and could only amass a modest total of 147/4 in 20 overs against the Hasaranga-less B-Love Kandy bowling attack.
The Aura’s innings got off to a bad start when Nuwan Pradeep cheaply removed Avishka Fernando (5) with just 11 runs scored in the third over.
Sadeera Samarawickrama struck first, then joined his skipper Kusal Mendis in the middle to start recovery.
The couple increased the amount by 57 runs, but their processing speed was still a little too slow.
Both set batsmen Samarawickrama and Mendis died in rapid succession, leaving Dambulla Aura reeling at 71/3 in 10.5 overs and in desperate need of some big hits.
Samarawickrama struck 36 from 30 balls while Mendis managed a scratchy 22 from 23 balls and only three boundaries.
Following the dip, Dambulla Aura’s Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Perera stepped out and led a counteroffensive against B-Love Kandy.
Before Mohammad Hasnain removed the main aggressor de Silva, the pair built together a crucial 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket and scored at a respectable clip.
He hit three sixes on his way to leading Dambulla Aura in scoring with a 29-ball 40.
B-Love Kandy’s Strategic Batting Efforts Lead to Victory in Run Chase
Contrarily, Perera batted steadily throughout, scoring a 25-ball 31 that included two boundaries and a six.
Chaturanga de Silva secured two wickets for B-Love Kandy, while Hasnain and Pradeep both claimed one.
Aiming for 148, B-Love On the penultimate delivery, Lahiru Madushanka (5* off three) hit the game-winning boundary for Kandy to end the chase.
Mohammad Haris and Kamindu Mendis, the B-Love Kandy team’s opening pair, brilliantly combined for 49 runs to lay the groundwork for the run chase.
The two batted intelligently until Noor Ahmad dismissed Haris in the seventh over, giving Dambulla Aura the much-needed breakthrough.
The first batter, who hit three boundaries and a six, scored 26 points off of 22 pitches.
While this was going on, Mendis remained steadfast and formed another crucial partnership for B-Love Kandy. He and Dinesh Chandimal had a 45-run stand before Mendis died in the 13th over, just as his team needed another 54 runs in 44 deliveries.
After being dismissed, B-Love Kandy suffered two losses quickly apart when Chandimal and Chaturanga de Silva (0 not out) fell in consecutive overs.
With the help of three boundaries, the wicketkeeper batsman completed a conservative 24-run knock in 22 balls.
Asif Ali’s Impactful Cameo and Angelo Mathews’ Steely Leadership Secure B-Love Kandy’s First LPL Championship
Asif Ali, who batted at number six, quickly flipped the script on the match by launching a counterattack with a fleeting but significant cameo.
He and veteran Angelo Mathews shared a game-changing 25-run partnership before he was bowled out in the penultimate over after making a quick 19 from 11 deliveries, studded with two boundaries and a six.
Following his departure, Mathews led B-Love Kandy’s quest and demonstrated steely grit at the very end to lead his team to their first LPL championship.
In 21 deliveries, Mathews scored an unblemished 25 points while launching three field goals.
Noor Ahmad dazzled with his exceptional figures of 3/27 in four overs despite being on the losing side, and Binura Fernando claimed two wickets for Dambulla Aura.