Galle Gladiators take on Dambulla Viiking for the second time at the Lanka Premier League.
Galle is the only team in the LPL to not win a single match having lost five in a row. On the other hand, Dambulla eked out a narrow 9-run win against Galle in their last game.
Team News
Chasing a mammoth 208, Galle did not have the required finishing power as Chadwick Walton failed to get going while Shehan Jayasuriya got dismissed cheaply.
Dambulla had a great outing with the bat with their opening duo of Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwela stitching together a 110-run partnership. Skipper, Dasun Shanuka continued his golden run with the bat with a quick-fire knock of 37.
Pitch and Conditions
The chasing team has won three out of the last five matches against Hambantota. Hence, sides with a deep batting line-up can fancy their chances to chase down big totals. If the bowlers hunt in pairs, they can knock down any batting attack on their day.
Probable Playing XI
Galle Gladiators: Danushka Gunathilaka, Ahsan Ali, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (c), Azam Khan, Chadwick Walton, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Mohammad Amir, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando.
Dambulla Viiking: Upul Tharanga, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka (c), Samit Patel, Samiullah Shinwari, Angelo Perera, , Anwar Ali, Ramesh Mendis, Malinda Pushpakumara, Kasun Rajitha, Sudeep Tyagi.
Key Battles
Ahsan Ali vs Anwar Ali
Ali scored 19 runs off 16 balls in the last game. He is in for a big knock soon after coming into the side replacing Hazratullah Zazai. If he plays the new ball, Ali can play with much freedom post the powerplay.
Anwar showed glimpses of his prowess in the death overs getting the crucial wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka in the 19th over. He scalped three wickets for 37 runs against Galle. He can generate good pace and swings the new and the old ball with ease. Anwar's bouncer and yorker can get Ali out cheaply.
Shehan Jayasuriya vs Upul Tharanga
Tharanga returned into form with a fine knock of 77. He played some delightful strokes hitting 11 boundaries and a six. The southpaw remains a vital cog for Dambulla as he can amass big totals for his side as well as chase down tricky scores.
Jayasuriya opened the bowling alongside Mohammad Amir in the last game. He conceded 28 runs in his three overs. Being a right-arm offie, he has the weapons to trouble Tharanga's free-flowing style of play. He can cut down the run flow at the start with his clever variations.
Prediction
Dambulla is placed at the third spot in the points table behind Colombo Kings and Jaffna Stallions. They need to win by a convincing margin to improve their negative net run rate. Galle will be playing for pride and need a win badly to open their account.
Cricwizz predicts Galle Gladiators to win the match.
