Pallekele International Cricket Stadium: Former Australia batter Shaun Marsh turned the clock back with his determined knock as he guided Dubai Giants to a commanding 7-wicket win over Punjab Royals in Legends Cricket Trophy 2024 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Thursday.Later, a record partnership between Angelo Perera and Peter Trego propelled Rajasthan Kings to an emphatic 7-wicket win over Delhi Devils.
In the first match of the day, Marsh, the stylish left-handed batter, delivered a sensational and unbeaten innings, scoring 79 runs from just 41 deliveries to help the Giants secure their third win of the season. In pursuit of a target of 137, Dubai Giants comfortably reached the mark in just 13.1 overs, with 11 balls to spare, having lost three wickets along the way.
Although Dubai Giants faced an early setback with the dismissal of opener T.M. Sampath in the first over of the run chase by S. Sreesanth, Shaun Marsh and Gurkeerat Singh Mann combined forces to forge a crucial 82-run partnership for the second wicket, placing Dubai Giants in a dominant position. Despite the quick dismissals of Mann (27) and Saurabh Tiwary (6) by Siddharth Trivedi, Dubai Giants continued their momentum. Eventually, Thisara Perera (11 not out off 6) and Shaun Marsh (79 not out off 41) steered their team to victory.
For his outstanding performance, Shaun Marsh was named the Player of the Match, his innings adorned with six sixes and an equal number of boundaries.
Earlier, choosing to bat first, the Tillakaratne Dilshan-led Punjab Royals posted a total of 136 for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 90 deliveries. Pawan Suyal impressed with figures of 3/25 from his quota of 24 balls, aiding the Harbhajan Singh-led Dubai Giants in restricting their opponents to a below-par total.
Cameron White was the top scorer for the Royals, remaining unbeaten on 43 runs from 26 balls, although he lacked significant support from other batsmen. Dwayne Smith provided a valuable contribution before falling victim to Amit Verma’s bowling.
In the second match of the evening, Rajasthan Kings engaged in a high-scoring contest, successfully chasing down a challenging target of 165 runs with seven wickets in hand and 8 balls to spare.
After a fiery innings from captain Suresh Raina, Delhi Devils posted a competitive total of 164 runs for the loss of six wickets within 90 balls. Despite losing openers Morne van Wyk (6) and Ashan Priyanjan (10) early on, a formidable partnership of 98 runs in 49 balls between Raina and Callum Ferguson for the third wicket laid the groundwork for a substantial score.
Raina’s explosive knock of 79 runs off just 39 balls, featuring trademark shots including eight fours and five sixes, was the highlight. Ferguson contributed 29 runs from 22 deliveries, including four boundaries and one six, before being dismissed by Manpreet Gony.
Gony excelled as the standout bowler for Rajasthan Kings, claiming figures of 3-27. Meanwhile, Parwinder Awana secured two wickets, although he proved slightly expensive, conceding 43 runs.
In their pursuit of 165 runs, Rajasthan Kings faced early setbacks with captain Robin Uthappa (12), Jatin Saxena (0), and Hamilton Masakadza (8) departing within the first 14 balls. Uthappa and Masakadza fell to Iqbal Abdulla, while Anureet Singh dismissed Saxena for a golden duck.
However, Angelo Perera and Peter Trego orchestrated a remarkable recovery for the Kings with a significant partnership for the fourth wicket. Perera, who reached his half-century off 26 balls, accelerated the scoring rate and forged the highest partnership (143* off 68 balls) in the tournament’s history with Trego.
Perera showcased his prowess by smashing four consecutive boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan and completed a century off just 43 balls, guiding his team to victory in style. Perera remained unbeaten on 100 runs, embellishing his innings with 16 fours and two sixes, while Trego remained not out on 42 runs off 27 balls.
Brief Scores:
Punjab Royals 136/5 in 90 balls (Cameron White 43 not out; Pawan Suyal 3-25) lost to Dubai Giants 138/3 in 79 balls (Shaun Marsh 79 not out); Siddharth Trivedi 2-40) by seven wickets.
Delhi Devils 164/6 in 90 balls (Suresh Raina 79, Manpreet Gony 3-27) lost to Rajasthan Kings 166/3 in 80 balls (Angelo Perera 100 not out; Iqbal Abdulla 2-48) by seven wickets.
