LLC 2023 FINAL Highlights: World Giants vs Asia Lions Highlights: Asia Lions win by 7 wickets – Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed a 115-run opening stand as Asia Lions chased down a 148-run target with 23 balls to spare. With that, they are the new champions of Legends League Cricket, replacing World Giants. Jacques Kallis has smashed an unbeaten 78 to power World Giants to 147/4. Kallis and Taylor steadied World Giants’ ship after three early wickets. Abdur Razzak bagged two wickets to remove both openers Shane Watson and Morne van Wyk. But Kallis first played the anchor role and then upped the ante to take Giants to 147. Follow LLC 2023 LIVE Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Tharanga and Dilshan whipped the World Giants attack to put on 115 runs-opening partnership in 9.6 overs. Dilshan cracked 58 off 42 balls with eight boundaries while Tharanga scored 57 off 28 balls with five boundaries and three sixes. Tharanga, who had also scored a 50 against India Maharajas to take Asia Lions into the final, was adjudged the Player of the Series.
World Giants Innings:
World Giants had won the toss and elected to bat with Lendl Simmons and Morne van Wyk opening the innings. But former Bangladesh spinner Abdur Razzak rattled the defending champions. Razzak struck with the third ball of the third over to dismiss van Wyk, who inside-edged it onto his wicket for a duck.
Razzak also took the valuable wicket of skipper Shane Watson with the fifth delivery trapping him leg-before through an arm ball for a duck.
Soon, Simmons, going for a quick single, was brilliantly run out by Tanvir off a direct hit. At the end of the powerplay, World Giants were 31 for 3. With three wickets gone and all the bowlers bowling tight overs, runs dried up. At the halfway mark, World Giants could muster only 49/3.
But Kallis changed gears with Ross Taylor by his side. The two brought up 50-run partnership. Kallis reached his half-century in 41 balls lifting Perera for a six.
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 literally lifted World Giants to a challenging total. Paul Collingwood, who joined Kallis, was retired hurt for 6. Kallis took advantage of the death overs and remained unconquered on 78.
Asia Lions Innings:
Chasing the target, Asia Lions’ consistent openers Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan began to stroke smoothly. Dilshan and Tharanga hit Samit Patel for 16 runs in the first over. With that, they set the template.
By the end of powerplay, Lions added 72 runs with the opening fifty-run stand coming in just 4.5 overs. Hoping to stop the run flow, World Giants introduced Monty Panesar. He too was not spared by Dilsan. Desperately looking for a breakthrough, Brett Lee was introduced for the eighth over. There was no impact of the bowling change. The 100-run partnership too came in 8.3 overs.
Dilshan brought up his fifty off just 32 balls while his fellow Sri Lankan Upul Tharanga reached the mark in just 29 balls. At 115/0 with hopes for a wicket, Lee finally broke the stand when he clean bowled Tharanga 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.
Player of the Match: Abdur Razzak
Player of the series: Upul Tharanga
World Giants Playing XI: Morne van Wyk(w), Shane Watson(c), Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Lendl Simmons, Paul Collingwood, Samit Patel, Monty Panesar, Tino Best, Chris Mpofu, Brett Lee
Asia Lions Playing XI: Upul Tharanga(w), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mohammad Hafeez, Asghar Afghan, Thisara Perera, Abdur Razzak, Shahid Afridi(c), Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Paras Khadka, Abdul Razzaq
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