At the beginning of the Lanka Premier League, the Galle Gladiators and Jaffna Stallions played some fair cricket. They have displayed a great combination of character and class, which in the all-important final has sealed a position for them. In the league level, the Stallions finished third, with the Gladiators narrowly edging past the Kandy Tuskers to progress to the semis.
In the semi-final, at Colombo Kings, they faced the table-toppers and came out on top. The Stallions got the best of the very excellent Dambulla Viiking, too. The teams will now be desperate to clear one more barrier after having done all the hard work. They know well that in the beloved books of history, only 40 more overs of quality cricket will etch their names in golden letters.
Weather
Fans are all set to witness a full 40 fascinating cricket overs, as the chances of precipitation are just 10%. It will have a temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius.
Pitch
The pitch has slowed down considerably with the bowlers ruling the roost, as seen in the last few games of the Lanka Premier League. However, between the bat and the ball, the proportions of the ground allow for an even match.
Run-scoring against the new ball is comparatively more comfortable, but the top order batsmen will need to keep an eye off the surface for movement. Both teams would like to set a target of at least 160. it would be secure because the scoreboard pressure is bound to come into play in the Lanka Premier League final.
Playing XIs:
Galle Gladiators:
Bhanuka Rajapaksa (c), Azam Khan (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Ahsan Ali, Sahan Arachchige, Shehan Jayasuriya, Nuwan Thushara, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Lakshan Sandakan, Mohammad Amir, Sahan Arachchige
Jaffna Stallions:
Thisara Perera (c), Minod Bhanuka (wk), Avishka Fernando, Johnson Charles, Shoaib Malik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Chaturanga de Silva, Suranga Lakmal, Duanne Olivier, Usman Shinwari
Galle Gladiators vs Jaffna Stallions Dream 11:
Danushka Gunathilaka (c), Azam Khan (wk), Avishka Fernando, Ahsan Ali, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chaturanga de Silva, Usman Shinwari, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Usman Shinwari
The Galle Gladiators are very fortunate to have their own fins in the final. In terms of consistency, there is a significant gap between the two teams. The Jaffna Stallions look much better and are favourites to win the title. We will back the Jaffna Stallions to continue their domination in LPL.