Veteran English spinner Samit Patel grabbed two crucial wickets as Galle Gladiators bounced back to defend their target of 135, defeating Dambulla Giants by nine runs in a rain-curtailed Lanka Premier League (LPL) game at the R. Premadasa Stadium here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match, reduced to 14 overs due to rain, saw Dambulla Giants captain Dasun Shanaka win the toss and elect to field on Tuesday evening. The Gladiators were given a strong start by openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis, who added 30 runs in 2.5 overs for the opening stand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Gladiators' innings was bolstered by Kusal Mendis who made 35 off 17 balls, hitting four boundaries and a six, while skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa struck 33 off 20 powered by three sixes and a four in his innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Gladiators' middle-order struggled as veteran Proteas spinner Imran Tahir picked up three wickets for 20 runs while Joshua Little picked up 2\/29, as they restricted Gladiators to 134\/7 in 14 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chasing the total, Giants lost Niroshan Dickwella for a duck on the third ball, but the 90-run stand between Philip Salt and Janith Liyanage shifted the tides in their favour, and it looked like Gladiators may suffer their third loss in a row.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Salt was dismissed for 41 by Isuru Udana in the 11th over, and shortly after, Samit Patel sent both Liyanage for 51 and skipper Shanaka for 1 back to the hut, and the match shifted gears once again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Despite late hitting from Najibullah Zadran, who hit two sixes to score 16 runs in nine balls, the Giants fell short of the target by nine runs, scoring 125\/5 in 14 overs, and Gladiators won the match to earn two crucial points.<\/p>\r\n\r\n