Asia Lions emerge as LLC Masters champions

Asia Lions openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked breezy half-centuries to blow away the challenge of World Giants and to emerge as the new champions of Legends League Cricket (LLC) Masters Qatar 2023 at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium on Monday.World Giants, who has won the inaugural international edition of the LLC Masters in Muscat, Oman, in 2022 were beaten by seven wickets as Asia Lions chased down the modest 148-run target with 23 balls to spare.Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud al-Thani, President, Qatar Cricket Association, handed over the winners’ trophy to Asia Lions captain Shahid Afridi amidst cheers from the 10,000 strong crowd at the stadium in the presence of Yuvraj Khilachand, Co-owner of Legends League Cricket, Raman Raheja, Co-owner and CEO, Legends League Cricket, and Vivek Khushnani, Chairman, Legends League Cricket.The architects of Asia Lions’ victory were Sri Lankan openers Tharanga and Dilshan, who whipped the World Giants attack to put on 115 runs-opening partnership in 9.6 overs.Dilshan cracked 58 off 42 balls (8x4s) while Tharanga scored 57 off 28 balls (5x4s, 3x6s).Tharanga, who had also scored a 50 against India Maharajas to take Asia Lions into the final, was also adjudged the Player of the Series.Earlier, Asia Lions restricted World Giants to 147 for 4 despite Jacques Kallis’ unbeaten 78 runs off 54 balls with five boundaries and three sixes.Kallis also had a 92 runs partnership in 11.1 overs for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor, who hit 32 off 33 balls with three hits to the fence. World Giants, opting to bat, had a disastrous start with South African Morne van Wyk being cleaned up by Pakistan’s Abdur Razzak for nought in the third over.More trouble followed with Giants’ Aussie star Shane Watson being trapped leg before two balls later by Razzaq.From being 2 for 9, Giants further slipped to 3 for 19 with opener Lendl Simmons being run out by a throw from Sohail Tanvir for 17 (16 balls; 1x4, 1x6).It was then that Kallis in support from New Zealander Ross Taylor rebuild the innings.When Afridi too bowled a tight tenth over for five runs, World Giants could muster only 49 for 3 at the halfway stage.Although Kallis slog-swept Afridi for a six in the 12th over, runs were still hard to come. Taylor and Kallis recorded their 50-run partnership in 7.3 overs when Kallis hit Thisara Perera for a boundary to fine leg.Kallis reached his half-century in 41 balls lifting Perera for a six to mid-wicket. Perera struck with the third ball of the 17th over to clean bowl Taylor for 32.The pair’s 92 runs in 11.1 overs lifted World Giants to a challenging total.Paul Collingwood, who joined Kallis, was retired hurt for 6. Kallis then hit an effortless six to mid-wicket off Tanvir in the 19th over.In the last over bowled by Udana, Kallis hit two consecutive boundaries off the second and third deliveries to remain unconquered on 78.Chasing the target, Asia Lions’ consistent openers Tharanga and Dilshan cruised smooth.Dilshan hit Samit Patel’s second and third deliveries for boundaries while Tharanga hit the fifth ball for a six over long-on.They took 16 runs off the first over. In the second, Tharanga pulled Brett Lee for a boundary. World Giants then replaced the costly Patel with Ricardo Powell. Tharanga chopped Powell to the third man for a boundary.Tino Best, who was introduced for the fourth over, was also hit by Dilshan through the covers for a boundary. The pair recorded their 50 runs partnership in 4.5 overs with Tharanga hitting Powell for a six.Tharanga smashed Powell’s last ball of the fifth over too for a six to long-on. Dilshan greeted Chris Mpofu with two consecutive boundaries in the sixth over and also scored another off the fourth ball to pile up 72 runs from the powerplay.Hoping to stop the run flow, World Giants introduced spinner Monty Panesar but too was not spared by Dilsan who drove him through extra cover for another boundary and took 13 runs off the over. Desperately looking for a breakthrough, Brett Lee was introduced for the eighth over.There was no impact of the bowling change. In fact, Lee was elegantly pulled for a boundary by Tharanga.In the ninth over, Tharanga reached his half-century pulling Best for a boundary.He had already hit four boundaries and three sixes. The 100-run partnership too came in 8.3 overs.Asia Lions took the game totally away from World Giants with Dilshan too smashing Best for a boundary to mid-wicket and reaching his half-century in 32 balls with eight boundaries.The 115 runs partnership ended when Lee had Tharanga clean bowled for 57.Asia Lions needed only 33 runs in the last ten overs.Dilshan was bowled out by Samit Patel for 58 when only 16 runs were needed for the victory in 41 balls.Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah Ul Haq steered their team to victory remaining unbeaten with nine runs each.BRIEF SCORESAsia Lions 148 for 3 in 16.1 overs (Upul Tharanga 57, Tillakaratne Dilshan 58) bt World Giants 147 for 4 in 20 overs (Jacques Kallis 78n.o, Ross Taylor 32, Abdur Razzak 2 for 14) by 7 wickets.Player of the Match: Abdur RazzakPlayer of the series: Upul Tharanga