Pallekele, March 17 The Legends Cricket Trophy witnessed two back-to-back high-scoring games at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Sunday with Delhi Devils defeating Colombo Lions by 42 runs and Rajasthan Kings registering a 14-run win over Dubai Giants.
In the opening match of the day, Delhi Devils secured their first victory in the tournament, defeating Colombo Lions by a margin of 42 runs after enduring four consecutive losses.
Opting to bat first, Delhi Devils posted an imposing total of 189 runs for the loss of merely one wicket within the allocated 90 deliveries. Morne van Wyk spearheaded the innings with a blistering 84 off just 44 balls, maintaining a striking rate of 190.9. Van Wyk's innings comprised 11 fours and 3 sixes, anchoring the innings superbly. Partnering with Ishan Malhotra, who contributed a brisk 40 off 25 balls with two fours and four sixes, the duo stitched a formidable 97-run partnership in just 48 balls.
Additionally, Callum Ferguson's unbeaten 44 off 21 balls further bolstered their total, sharing an unbroken 92-run partnership for the second wicket with van Wyk. Despite Malinda Pushpakumara managing to claim one wicket for the Colombo Lions, conceding 24 runs from his two overs, the rest of the Lions' bowling attack struggled, leaking runs at a rate exceeding 10 per over.
In reply, Colombo Lions could only muster 147 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 90 balls, falling short of the target set by Delhi Devils by 42 runs. Iqbal Abdulla stood out among the Devils' bowlers, claiming two wickets for 24 runs in his four overs, while Pradeep Sangwan also chipped in with a couple of crucial wickets.
Despite a valiant effort from their captain Asghar Afghan, who scored a quickfire 49 off 33 balls, the pressure of the daunting target prevented Colombo Lions' batters from playing freely. With no significant support from the rest of the batting lineup, the Lions remained winless in their fifth encounter.
In the second match, another high-scoring spectacle unfolded as Rajasthan Kings clinched victory over Dubai Giants by 14 runs, propelled by captain Robin Uthappa's outstanding performance and an all-around effort from Chaturanga de Silva.
Captain Uthappa exhibited his batting prowess, smashing a rapid 76 off just 34 balls to propel Rajasthan Kings to a formidable total of 208 for three within the allotted 90 deliveries. Uthappa, the former Indian cricketer, combined forces with fellow opener Hamilton Masakadza, who contributed a brisk 42 off 19 balls, establishing an 83-run partnership in just 37 balls before his dismissal.
Chaturanga de Silva's 37 off 19 balls and Angelo Perera's unbeaten 43 off 16 balls added to the Kings' formidable total, but it was Uthappa's dominant display with eight sixes and five boundaries that stole the spotlight. Among the Dubai Giants' bowlers, Pawan Suyal was the most economical, conceding 39 runs at a rate of 9.80 runs per over.
In pursuit of the challenging target of 209, Dubai Giants began energetically with openers Shaun Marsh (23 off 9) and Amit Verma (34 off 20) swiftly accumulating 39 runs. However, Ashley Nurse dismissed Marsh early in the fourth over. Verma then partnered with Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who blazed to a rapid 66 off just 21 balls, maintaining a striking rate of 314.29, but the middle order crumbled under pressure with Bipul Sharma claiming three quick wickets for the Kings.
Despite Denesh Ramdin's valiant effort, scoring a brisk 30 off 11 balls, he fell as the ninth wicket and the Giants failed to cross the finish line. Chaturanga de Silva completed his fifer by clean bowling Pawan Suyal for a duck. De Silva finished with figures of 5/28 from 2.5 overs, while Bipul Sharma secured 3/31 from three overs, restricting Dubai Giants to 194 in 13.5 overs.
Brief scores:
Delhi Devils 189/1 in 90 balls (Morne van Wyk 84; Malinda Pushpakumara 1-24) beat Colombo Lions 147/6 in 90 balls (Asghar Afghan 49; Iqbal Abdulla 2-24) by 42 runs.
Rajasthan Kings 208/3 in 90 balls (Robin Uthappa 76; Pawan Suyal 1-39) beat Dubai Giants 194 all out in 83 (Gurkeerat Singh Mann 66; Chaturanga de Silva 5-28) by 14 runs.
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