HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, CMC – Explosive West Indies all-rounder, Andre Russell, had little impact for Colombo Kings as they slipped to an eight-wicket defeat to Galle Gladiators in the Sri Lanka Premier League here yesterday.
Choosing to bat first at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Kings were dismissed for a competitive 171 off their 20 overs with Russell managing only 11 batting at number six.
Englishman Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 44 from 36 deliveries while opener Dinesh Chandimal gathered a breezy 35 off 20 balls and Thikshila de Silva, 27 off just 17 deliveries.
Russell entered at 88 for four in the seventh over but failed to energise the innings, blasting two fours in his nine-ball stay before skying a return catch to left-arm spinner Lakshan Sandakan in the 13th over.
In reply, Russell went wicketless in two expensive overs which leaked 22 runs as Gladiators coasted to victory in the 18th over on the back of opener Ahsan Ali’s 56 off 38 balls with nine fours and a six.
Ahsan put on 97 for the first wicket with Danushka Gunathilaka who made 38 off 28 balls and when both fell in successive overs, captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa (37 not out) Azam Khan (35 not out) saw their side home in an unbroken third wicket stand worth 68.
West Indies batsman Chadwick Walton was in the Gladiators lineup but did not bat.
The defeat for Kings was their second in six games, leaving them third in the five-team standings on eight points.
