Galle Marvels scored 184/6 in 20 overs, where as Jaffna Kings scored 185/1 in 15.4 overs.
So, finally Jaffna Kings beat Galle Marvels by 9 wickets.
A record partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis made a mockery of a fighting total of 184 posted by Galle Marvels as Jaffna Kings coasted to a nine-wicket victory with 4.2 overs to spare and lifted the Lanka Premier League 2024 Trophy.
The Marvels were reduced to 48/3 in 10 overs before Bhanuka Rajapaksa turned the innings around completely with his 34-ball 82, which included 8 fours and 6 sixes, and received support from Tim Seifert (47 off 37), as the team finished with 184/6.
But the total proved insufficient as Rossouw belted 7 sixes and 9 fours in his unbeaten 106 off 53 while Mendis, fresh off a century in the Qualifier 2 game, finished with 72 not out off 40 in an unbroken 185-run stand that powered Jaffna to their fourth title in five seasons of the LPL.
Dwaine Pretorius gave his side the perfect start as he had Pathum Nissanka caught behind off the first ball, with the Marvels having to use the DRS to get the decision in their favor.
But it turned out to be a productive powerplay for the Kings as Rossouw and Mendis found the boundaries regularly.
Rossouw targeted Isuru Udana, hitting two fours in an over and then two sixes in another, while Mendis struck two sixes and a four off Sahan Arachchige in the sixth over to power the Kings to 63/1 at the end of the powerplay.
Prabath Jayasuriya came in for some stick from Rossouw, being hit for a six and two fours before the South African hit a six off Maheesh Theekshana to bring up a 29-ball fifty.
The century stand was raised in nine overs and Mendis then got to a 24-ball fifty as the Kings raced to 110/1 at the halfway stage.
There was no respite for the Marvels bowlers as Rossouw hit a six off Kavindu Nadeeshan and Mendis scored two successive fours, bringing the required rate under 6.5.
Rossouw and Mendis were both batting in the 60s at the end of the 11th over and two overs later, the left-hander had moved into the 90s, having struck a four and a six off Udana followed by three fours and a six off Janith Liyanage.
That took the partnership to 164, a record stand in the LPL for any wicket, going past Shevon Daniel and Jordan Cox’s 154-run stand for Dambulla Aura against Galle Gladiators in 2022.
Mendis had a lucky break as he was put down by Theekshana after hitting a four.
Rossouw then got to a 50-ball 100 and hit the winning run as the Kings finished off the chase in the 16th over.
Earlier, Jason Behrendorff delivered an excellent start for the Kings after they opted to bowl, accounting for the wickets of Niroshan Dickwella and Alex Hales, and conceded only five runs in the three overs he bowled in the powerplay.
The spinners did not concede too many at the other end, keeping the Marvels to 21/2 in the first six overs.
It became 24/3 when Asitha Fernando got the wicket of Liyanage in the seventh over, leaving the Marvels in further trouble.
Tim Seifert, who had scored only 6 off his first 16 deliveries, got an inside edge off Vijayakanth Viyaskanth for his first four.
He later clubbed a six over long-on off the leg spinner while Rajapaksa struck a maximum off Azmatullah Omarzai, followed by a boundary, injecting some much-needed momentum to the Marvels innings.
The next over was a big one for the Marvels as Seifert took the attack to Viyaskanth, striking three sixes – including a monstrous 107m six over deep midwicket – and a four to take 23 off the 12th over.
Seifert and Rajapaksa extended their partnership to 61 before the former was bowled off a slower delivery from Fernando.
Despite the dismissal, Rajapaksa did not stop the attack as he hit a six and two fours off Fernando to take the Marvels past 100 in the 13th over.
Three overs later, Rajapaksa took it to top gear as he struck four sixes and a four in a 28-run over from Charith Asalanka, with the second six helping him bring up a 21-ball fifty.
Despite being hit for two fours in his last over, Behrendorff finished with fine figures of 2-18 while Azmatullah picked up the wicket of Arachchige and bowled an economical 18th over.
Rajapaksa struck a four off Fernando before getting out to the same bowler as a yorker brought an end to a fine innings.
A six for Pretorius off Azmatullah in the final over helped the Marvels past 180, with 136 runs coming in the second half of their innings.
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