COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – Gifted fast bowler Jayden Seales made an excellent start to life in the Lanka Premier League with an incisive three-wicket haul but the performance came in a losing cause as his Jaffna Kings suffered a heavy 54-run loss to Galle Gladiators.
In the opening match of the Twenty20 championship here Sunday, the 20-year-old Trinidadian put the disappointment of West Indies’ heavy series defeat behind him to claim three for 23 from four miserly overs and restrict Gladiators to 164 for seven at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa top-scored with 56 from 31 deliveries, striking half-dozen fours and three fours to inspire a 52-run, third wicket stand with Ben Dunk (17), and a further 40 for the fourth wicket with Samit Patel whose 42 came from 31 deliveries and included six fours.
Seales conceded only 19 runs from his first three overs in two separate spells, before snatching two wickets in the last over while giving up only four runs.
In reply, Kings were dismissed cheaply for 110 in the 19th over, only Wahab Riaz with 27 off 20 balls showing any resistance after arriving at number eight.
He slammed two fours and two sixes in a 33-run eighth wicket stand with Suranga Lakmal (10), which represented the most productive partnership of the innings.
Kings were undermined by the left-arm spin of Samit who snared three for 23 while Pakistan off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez (2-11) and leg-spinner Pulina Tharanga (2-13) finished with two wickets apiece.
Seales, who made his international debut as a teenager earlier this year, has played four Tests but took no part in the two-Test series in Galle when West Indies lost both Tests.