The Hambantota Bangla Tigers were crowned the inaugural champions of the Lanka T10 Super League, defeating the previously unbeaten Jaffna Titans in the final held today in Pallekele. The Tigers had lost to the Titans in Qualifier 1 but bounced back to beat the Galle Marvels in Qualifier 2 yesterday.
>>Jaffna Titans, Hambantota Bangla Tigers storm into Lanka T10 Final
Winning the toss, Jaffna Titans skipper David Wiese opted to bowl first in the high-pressure final. The Tigers started strong as Mohammad Shahzad smashed 26 off 11 balls before being run out.
After slipping to 59/3, captain Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel added 44 runs in just 17 balls to set up a strong finish. Late cameos from Kenar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan helped the Tigers post a challenging total of 133/7 in their 10 overs. Traveen Mathew once again shone for the Titans, claiming 2 for 18 with the ball.
The Jaffna Titans’ top order, which had been their strength throughout the season, faltered in the final. They lost their first three batters for just 28 runs in 2.2 overs, failing to get the ideal start they needed.
Apart from Tom Abell, who struck a valiant half-century at a strike rate of 200, the rest of the batting lineup struggled as the required rate climbed above 13 runs per over. The Titans could only manage 107/6, falling 26 runs short, as the Hambantota Bangla Tigers secured a comprehensive victory.
On the bowling front, Richard Gleeson was the standout performer for the Tigers, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs. Skipper Shanaka also bowled a brilliant over, claiming two wickets for just 4 runs.
>>Photos – Lanka T10 Super League 2024 – Day 08
Brief Scores:
Hambantota Bangla Tigers 133/7 (10) Mohammad Shahzad 26, Shevon Daniel 26, Dasun Shanaka 21, Treveen Mathew 2/18
Jaffna Titans 107/6 (10) Tom Abell 54*, Richard Gleeson 3/21, Dasun Shanaka 2/4, Isuru Udana 1/22
Result – Hambantota Bangla Tigers won by 26 runs.
