Mishara’s Unbeaten 108 Sends Jaffna Kings Into LPL Final After 470-Run Assault

Galle Gallants scored 81 runs in the powerplay and still spent most of Lanka Premier League 2026 Qualifier 1 trying to recover lost ground. Kamil Mishara had already pushed the target into territory where every quiet over carried the weight of a wicket.

Mishara’s unbeaten 108 from 55 balls powered Jaffna Kings to 242 for two at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on August 5. Galle answered with an imposing 228 for eight, but their failure to build one long, decisive partnership left them 14 runs short.

Jaffna advanced directly to the August 8 final. Galle remain in contention and will face the Eliminator winner in Qualifier 2 on August 7.

Readers can follow the tournament through The Sports Encounter’s Lanka Premier League coverage and wider Cricket Hub.

TL;DR

• Jaffna Kings defeated Galle Gallants by 14 runs in LPL 2026 Qualifier 1.
• Kamil Mishara earned Player of the Match honors with an unbeaten 108 from 55 balls.
• Khawaja Nafay scored 54 from 32, while Towhid Hridoy hammered an unbeaten 54 from 21.
• Galle reached 81 for two in the powerplay but slipped to 97 for four after nine overs.
• Mohamed Shiraz took three wickets, while Lizaad Williams removed Asalanka and Harper.
• Jaffna reached the final, while Galle moved into Qualifier 2.

Jaffna Kings vs Galle Gallants Qualifier 1 scorecard

Detail	Information
Competition	Lanka Premier League 2026, Qualifier 1
Date	August 5, 2026
Venue	R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Toss	Galle Gallants elected to field
Jaffna Kings	242/2 in 20 overs
Galle Gallants	228/8 in 20 overs
Result	Jaffna Kings won by 14 runs
Player of the Match	Kamil Mishara, 108 not out from 55 balls
Top Galle scorer	Sam Harper, 44 from 21 balls
Best bowling	Mohamed Shiraz, 3/32
Turning point	Galle fell from 76/1 to 97/4
Qualification impact	Jaffna reached the final; Galle advanced to Qualifier 2

Mishara gives Jaffna the innings the occasion demanded

Avishka Fernando’s departure for 19 left Jaffna at 35 for one in the fifth over. Galle had created an opening, but Mishara and Nafay closed it with a 138-run partnership that gave the innings stability and speed.

Nafay played the early aggressor, hitting four fours and three sixes in his 54 from 32 balls. His willingness to attack allowed Mishara to settle without surrendering control of the scoring rate.

Mishara reached his half-century from 31 deliveries. Once established, he began clearing the boundary with increasing confidence. His unbeaten innings contained 10 fours and seven sixes, including several clean strikes against bowlers who struggled to find a reliable defensive length.

Galle finally separated the pair when Sam Harper ran out Nafay in the 16th over. Jaffna had reached 173 for two, and the dismissal brought Hridoy to the crease.

The Bangladesh batter turned an already demanding target into a brutal one. Hridoy struck an unbeaten 54 from 21 balls, reaching his half-century in 20 deliveries with three fours and five sixes.

His arrival vindicated Jaffna’s late squad reinforcement, which The Sports Encounter examined in its LPL playoff squad update. Mishara and Hridoy added 69 from the final 27 balls as Jaffna closed on 242 for two.

Galle’s powerplay promised a chase they could not sustain

Galle’s response began with the urgency the target required. Thomas Rogers fell for a three-ball duck, but Harper and Charith Asalanka counterattacked immediately.

The Gallants raced to 50 from 20 balls and completed the powerplay on 81 for two. Asalanka made 27 from 13 before Williams bowled him with a scrambled-seam delivery. Harper followed for 44 from 21, caught at mid-on from another Williams delivery.

Sahan Arachchige’s dismissal for eight left Galle on 97 for four after nine overs. That stretch decided the match. Their run rate remained healthy, but the continual loss of established batters forced each new arrival to attack without a settling period.

Galle had previously defeated Jaffna by 36 runs in the LPL season opener and followed it with a 60-run victory in their second meeting. This time, Jaffna’s bowlers responded whenever Galle threatened to take command.

Karunaratne and Shanaka revive the chase

Chamika Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka added 63 for the fifth wicket, taking Galle from 97 for four to 160. Karunaratne scored 39 from 21, while Shanaka contributed 34 from 19.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa changed the game in the field. Karunaratne cut Shakib Al Hasan toward backward point, where Rajapaksa leaped to his left and completed an excellent two-handed catch.

Shiraz dismissed Shanaka nine balls later and then removed Mohammad Nawaz for 10. Galle slipped to 176 for seven, leaving their lower order with too much to repair.

Sonal Dinusha Colombage kept swinging, finishing unbeaten on 27 from nine balls. His late hitting carried Galle to 228, but the chase had lost its shape during the middle overs.

Four turning points that settled Qualifier 1

Mishara and Nafay add 138

The second-wicket partnership prevented Galle from attacking Jaffna’s middle order. Both batters scored quickly while taking the innings deep.

Hridoy attacks the final 27 balls

Jaffna were 173 for two when Hridoy arrived. His immediate boundary-hitting drove the total past 240 and removed any room for a measured Galle chase.

Williams removes both set batters

Asalanka and Harper had taken Galle to 76 for one. Williams dismissed both, finishing with two for 39 and breaking the chase before the halfway point.

Rajapaksa ends Galle’s best partnership

Karunaratne and Shanaka had rebuilt the innings with a 63-run stand. Rajapaksa’s catch removed Karunaratne, and Galle lost three wickets for 16 runs.

What comes next for Jaffna and Galle?

Jaffna now have three days to recover and prepare for the final. Their batting has crossed 200 in three consecutive completed matches, including the 221 they defended against Kandy Royals in a 21-run victory.

Galle must return for Qualifier 2 against the winner of the Colombo Kaps versus Kandy Royals Eliminator. Their place in that match came after a 13-run win over Colombo secured second place in the league stage.

The Gallants remain capable of reaching the final. Their batting depth produced 228 under playoff pressure, but their bowlers conceded 17 sixes and claimed only one wicket. That balance must improve immediately.

Official fixtures and competition information are available through Sri Lanka Cricket’s Lanka Premier League page.

Jaffna’s control separates two fearless batting performances

The match produced 470 runs, 36 fours and 29 sixes. Both batting units attacked with conviction, yet Jaffna understood the value of keeping established players at the crease.

Mishara batted through the innings. Nafay gave him a 138-run partnership, and Hridoy supplied the finishing power. Galle produced several dangerous cameos but no batter stayed long enough to control the chase.

That difference sent Jaffna into the final and left Galle facing an additional knockout match. In a contest dominated by boundaries, partnership length proved more valuable than the loudest individual shot.