In a remarkable display of skill during a Lanka Premier League 2024 match between Jaffna Kings and Kandy Falcons at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, young Pakistani batsman Mohammad Haris left spectators in awe with a unique shot. Haris, batting at number 3, arrived at the crease with Kandy Falcons already off to a strong start.
On just his sixth delivery faced, Haris executed an extraordinary shot using the back of his bat to send the ball sailing over the wicketkeeper’s head for a six. This audacious stroke came in the final over of the powerplay during Kandy Falcons’ innings against fast bowler Asitha Fernando, who delivered a low full toss aimed at the stumps. Sensing the opportunity with third man inside the circle, Haris opted to capitalize on the fielding restrictions by attempting a reverse scoop.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Haris did not switch the orientation of his bat and instead struck the ball so cleanly that it effortlessly cleared the boundary ropes for a boundary.
Watch – Mohammad Haris hits a stunning shot for six off the back of the bat
Even Mohammad Haris was surprised with the shot and smiled. The bowler Asitha Fernando too did not believe what just happened and just ended up with a smile on his face. Such shots are quite rare in the cricketing world. However, Haris could not get a big score and was dismissed for 26 off 20 balls. He hit 1 four and 2 sixes during his knock.
Jaffna Kings defeat Kandy Falcons in a thrilling match
In a thrilling match, Jaffna Kings secured a narrow victory over Kandy Falcons by just 1 run. Opting to bat first, Jaffna Kings posted a formidable total of 187-7 in their allotted 20 overs, largely propelled by an outstanding century from wicketkeeper-opener Kusal Mendis. Mendis played a sensational innings, remaining unbeaten on 105 runs off just 54 deliveries, which included 12 boundaries and 5 sixes.
Mendis’ century was pivotal for Jaffna Kings, significantly overshadowing the contributions of the rest of the batting lineup. The next highest score came from Azmatullah Omarzai, who provided a quickfire 26 off 13 balls batting at number 7, adding crucial runs towards the end of the innings to bolster their total.
In response, Kandy Falcons’ bowling attack, led by spinners Chaturanga de Silva and Ramesh Mendis, put up a commendable effort. They combined to claim 4 wickets, conceding 32 runs between them, playing a significant role in restricting Jaffna Kings’ scoring rate despite Mendis’ heroics.
In their pursuit of a challenging target, Kandy Falcons made a strong start by scoring 48 runs in the initial 4 overs. Andre Fletcher played a pivotal role at the beginning, smashing 38 runs off 21 balls, while Mohammad Haris contributed with 26 runs before being dismissed. Kamindu Mendis also played a steady innings, adding 32 runs off 23 deliveries.
Despite the early momentum, Kandy Falcons faced challenges as they tried to maintain the required run rate. Skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and Angelo Mathews attempted to build partnerships, but both struggled to convert their starts into substantial scores, partly due to the effective bowling of Fabian Allen. Allen’s left-arm spin in the middle overs proved pivotal, restricting Falcons’ progress.
Towards the end of the innings, Ramesh Mendis provided a late flourish with a quickfire 30 runs, but it wasn’t enough to bridge the gap to the target set by Jaffna Kings. Fabian Allen was the standout bowler for Jaffna Kings, claiming 4 wickets for 24 runs, while off-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth also contributed significantly with 3 wickets for 30 runs during his spell.
