Andre Russell hammers 65 off 19 balls, Colombo Kings make 96 to win five-over shootout
Russell clobbers nine fours and four sixes to put Colombo top in LPL's early standings
Russell clobbers nine fours and four sixes to put Colombo top in LPL's early standings
Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: @PeterDellaPenna
So Dre Russ thinks he didn't really time too many of those balls today. Watch out LPL bowlers for the day when he does! Anyway, that's it from us tonight. Thanks for your patience sticking around to take in the demolition from a T20 (or is it Five5) master. Kings make it 2 wins from 2. Gladiators are now 0 for 2 and searching for answers they'll need to find quite quickly in a short and sharp T20 tournament if they want to get back into contention. I'm Peter Della Penna. Good night!
Man of the Match Andre Russell: "It's simple. When you bat in a situation like this in a 5-over game, you just have to back yourself. See ball, hit ball. And that's what I did. We know that once we get 80+ runs, that will be a choke on the neck of these guys. It's all about the bat speed. I swing real hard and that's why most times when I get the ball good on the bat, it tends to go a long way. I've been struggling for the last two months or so to hit the ball as clean as I want to. Even today I didn't get the middling of the ball that I want to but I appreciate the edges and luck that goes my way. I didn't really quite time most of those balls today but it just goes to show when you swing hard, the ball still goes over the ropes."
Kings captain Angelo Mathews: "We've got the team to do it whether we bat first or bowl first. Russell showed that no one can get close to him today. He took the game away from the Gladiators. We have the firepower and thought why not just send Russell in [to open] and go have a big smash. You obviously saw what he can do. If a guy like that bats well on the day, that's it."
Gladiators captain Shahid Afridi: "As a captain, I was not expecting a result like that because we are a very balanced side. But for today's game I must give credit to Russell. That was his show. He really played a great innings."
Adharsh R: "It is not 'Colombo Kings won by 34 runs'. It is 'Galle Gladiators lost to Russell by 3 runs', who is unbeaten on 65."
12.05 am A match so amazing that the Kings can claim to have won the same match on two separate days. It's after midnight and the carnage is over. Andre Russell awaits his Man of the Match award for a stunning first innings assault but don't forget about that amazing over from Ashan Priyanjan in the second innings.
Azam Khan enters with three balls left to make some cosmetic adjustments to the scorecard. Result no longer in doubt. Gunathilaka couldn't cross with the ball in the air on Afridi's wicket.
Shahid Afridi c Priyanjan b Qais Ahmad 12 (6b 3x4 0x6) SR: 200.00
Qais Ahmad to bowl the last. Why not stick with Priyanjan?
Russell clobbers nine fours and four sixes to put Colombo top in LPL's early standings
Fantasy suggestions for the LPL 2020 game between Colombo Kings and Galle Gladiators