Lanka Premier League 3: Colombo Stars one foot on final; the other foot finalises on 22

Colombo Stars made short shrift of their match against Galle Gladiators for a handsome 7-wicket win on Wednesday's eliminator at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, but will face one more hurdle to make it to the final having to get past the Kandy Falcons on Thursday.

As it was, it took No. 4 Ravi Bopara, the former England batter, with an unbeaten cameo 43 off 28 and Skipper Angelo Mathews 20 off 25 to pull the side out of the rut of 3 for 44 in strutting an unfinished 65-run fourth wicket partnership off 53 balls in chasing down the Galle Gladiators 108 for 9 off rain reduced 18 overs.

While the Gladiators failed to fire with the exception of Sahan Arachchige who struck a 31-ball 53 off 31 studded with 3 sixes and an equal number of boundaries, Colombo Stars frontline of Dinesh Chandimal and Nishan Madushka, fell for 13 each and Charith Asalanka ran himself out for 10. Madushka, promoted to open the innings did rally the innings to 43 adding 27 with Asalanka for the second wicket off 21 but both batsmen fell in the space of one run before Bopara hitting 6 boundaries came to the show with Mathews who hit 2.

CHIEF SCORES:

Galle Gladiators: 108/9 (18) (Sahan Arachchige 53, Imad Wasim 17, Benny Howell 3/17, Kasun Rajitha 2/9, Mohammad Nabi 2/20, Dominic Drakes 1/21) beaten by

Colombo Stars: 109/3 (16.5) (Ravi Bopara n.o. 43, Angelo Mathews n.o. 20, Nishan Madushka 13, Dinesh Chandimal 13, Charith Asalanka 10, Imad Wasim 1/18, Nuwan Pradeep 1/21)