Lanka Premier League, Dambulla Viiking vs Galle Gladiators: Who will win today's LPL 2020 match?
Galle Gladiators will look to stay alive in LPL 2020 when they take on Dambulla Viiking in Match 17 at Hambantota on Wednesday. It will be a tough ask for Galle Gladiators as Dambulla Viiking are one of the form teams in the tournament.
With four wins and a solitary loss, Dambulla Viiking are at number two on the points table. Galle Gladiators, in contrast, are languishing at the bottom half with two points from six matches.
Dambulla Viiking’s last match against Jaffna Stallions was washed out due to rain. Before that, they had come up against Galle Gladiators and had registered a nine-run triumph.
As for Galle Gladiators, their previous match saw them registering their maiden win in the LPL, getting the better of the fancied Colombo Kings by eight wickets.
Form Guide: Dambulla Viiking
Dambulla Viiking crumbled to 42 for 3 in the rain-marred encounter against Jaffna Stallions, which produced no result. They will want to put up a better batting performance against Galle Gladiators.
Niroshan Dickwella, who was one of the star performers in Dambulla Viiking’s triumph over Galle Gladiators during the previous battle between the teams, looked good against Jaffna Stallions, remaining unbeaten on 28.
Skipper Dasun Shanaka and all-rounder Samit Patel have been among the runs for Dambulla Viiking, so that is an encouraging sign. Angelo Perera has also played one match-winning knock.
In the bowling department, Anwar Ali stood out in the triumph against Galle Gladiators, with figures of 3 for 37. However, the rest of the bowlers proved to be rather expensive. That is one area Dambulla Viiking will need to improve on.
Form Guide: Galle Gladiators
Galle Gladiators registered their first victory in LPL 2020 against Colombo Kings, and it was a rather comprehensive effort. Veteran left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir proved he can still be a match-winner with a superlative bowling performance of 5 for 26.
Amir found excellent support in Lakshan Sandakan, who also chipped in with three wickets. Dhananjaya Lakshana and Nuwan Thushara were also economical in the win over Colombo Kings.
The batting impressed too, making it a complete performance from Galle Gladiators. Ahsan Ali struck a meaty half-century while Danushka Gunathilaka, skipper Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Azam Khan all chipped in with crucial contributions.
Dambulla Viiking vs Galle Gladiators: Match prediction
Dambulla Viiking got the better of Galle Gladiators the last time these two teams met. However, Galle Gladiators did compete hard and eventually went down by nine runs.
The victory over Colombo Kings would have increased their confidence. Significantly, their key players, like Amir and Lakshan Sandakan, have hit also form.
Dambulla Viiking have been in great form in LPL 2020. However, they have shown signs of weakness in recent games. Can Galle Gladiators pounce on the same?
Predicted to win: Galle Gladiators