163/8 (18.4)
CR : 8.73
159/8 (20.0)
CR : 7.95
Kandy Falcons won by 2 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Kamindu Mendis
54(36)
KDF won by 2 wickets
11:08 PM IST, Local Time: Kandy Falcons thump Colombo Strikers by 2 wickets in a thrilling contest and get one step closer to the grand finale of this LPL. On the other hand, Colombo Strikers have been eliminated from the tournament.
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Colombo Strikers lost Muhammad Waseem (10 off 9), Glenn Phillips (0 off 1), and Nipun Dhananjaya (14 off 11) during the powerplay. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sadeera Samarawickrama started the rescue mission and the pair forged 40 runs for the third wicket, with the former departing for 30 runs off 29 balls. Samarawickrama played a pivotal knock for his side and contributed 62 runs off 45 balls. Colombo lost a flurry of wickets in a jiffy at the tail end of the innings and were restricted to 159/8 in 20 overs.
Mohammad Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers for Kandy Falcons, claiming three wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga chipped in with a couple of wickets, while Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka celebrated a solitary wicket.
In pursuit of 159 runs, Kandy Falcons lost Dinesh Chandimal (6 off 4), Mohammad Haris (10 off 4), and Andre Fletcher (20 off 12) inside the powerplay. Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews tried to steady the ship but their progress was halted by Pathirana, who trapped Mathews with a sharp bouncer and put Kandy in a spot of bother. Wanindu Hasaranga (1 off 3) and Chaturanga de Silva (9 off 8) failed to settle on the crease and departed in quick succession.
Kandy were reeling at 83/6 in the 11th over of the innings but Mendis paired up with veteran Dasun Shanaka and turned the fortune of the game. Shanaka (39 off 21) scored at a rapid pace from the outset and put Kandy’s batting back on track, while Mendis displayed maturity and pounced on the looseners.
The pair added 69 runs for the seventh wicket, with Mendis reaching his fifty in the process. However, Colombo removed both set batters in two consecutive balls and were back in the hunt with Kandy 8 wickets down for 152 runs. Ramesh Mendis (5*) and Chamath Gomez (2*) added the remaining crucial runs at the cue end of the innings and helped the Falcons cross the line with 8 balls to spare.
Binura Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana bagged three wickets for Colombo, while Isitha Wijesundera and Shadab Khan celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stay tuned for the presentation....
Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Colombo Strikers lost Muhammad Waseem (10 off 9), Glenn Phillips (0 off 1), and Nipun Dhananjaya (14 off 11) during the powerplay. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sadeera Samarawickrama started the rescue mission and the pair forged 40 runs for the third wicket, with the former departing for 30 runs off 29 balls. Samarawickrama played a pivotal knock for his side and contributed 62 runs off 45 balls. Colombo lost a flurry of wickets in a jiffy at the tail end of the innings and were restricted to 159/8 in 20 overs.
Mohammad Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers for Kandy Falcons, claiming three wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga chipped in with a couple of wickets, while Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka celebrated a solitary wicket.
In pursuit of 159 runs, Kandy Falcons lost Dinesh Chandimal (6 off 4), Mohammad Haris (10 off 4), and Andre Fletcher (20 off 12) inside the powerplay. Kamindu Mendis and Angelo Mathews tried to steady the ship but their progress was halted by Pathirana, who trapped Mathews with a sharp bouncer and put Kandy in a spot of bother. Wanindu Hasaranga (1 off 3) and Chaturanga de Silva (9 off 8) failed to settle on the crease and departed in quick succession.
Kandy were reeling at 83/6 in the 11th over of the innings but Mendis paired up with veteran Dasun Shanaka and turned the fortune of the game. Shanaka (39 off 21) scored at a rapid pace from the outset and put Kandy’s batting back on track, while Mendis displayed maturity and pounced on the looseners.
The pair added 69 runs for the seventh wicket, with Mendis reaching his fifty in the process. However, Colombo removed both set batters in two consecutive balls and were back in the hunt with Kandy 8 wickets down for 152 runs. Ramesh Mendis (5*) and Chamath Gomez (2*) added the remaining crucial runs at the cue end of the innings and helped the Falcons cross the line with 8 balls to spare.
Binura Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana bagged three wickets for Colombo, while Isitha Wijesundera and Shadab Khan celebrated a solitary wicket.
Stay tuned for the presentation....
11:13 PM IST & Local Time: It is time for post-match presentation...
Catch of the match: Shadab Khan
Player of the match: Kamindu Mendis
Kamindu Mendis (Player of the match): "Yeah, actually it was a good game. Credit goes to bowlers from both teams. When I went to the middle, we were like 60 odd for 5 and we thought we needed a partnership.
The plan was to stay positive. Was a little bit nervous when I walked in to bat but good that we got over the line."
The plan was to stay positive. Was a little bit nervous when I walked in to bat but good that we got over the line."
Thisara Perera (Colombo Strikers Captain): "First of all I want to thank our owner, who believed in us but unfortunately, we failed to stand up to the expectations but it happens in cricket. As a bowling unit, we performed well throughout the tournament, but today we fell short by 10-15 runs with the bat. Kamindu and Dasun batted well under pressure. The LPL has been improving each year. I want to thank the organizers."
Wanindu Hasaranga (Kandy Falcons Captain): "I trust Dasun (Shanaka) and Kamindu (Mendis) like always. We knew what Dasun is capable of and he showed that today. He has finished lots of games for Sri Lanka as well. As a captain I back him all the way.
Credit goes to bowlers. They did well with the new ball and batters did well as well."
Credit goes to bowlers. They did well with the new ball and batters did well as well."
Kandy Falcons move one step closer to the summit clash of this LPL. They will face the Jaffna Kings in Qualifier 2 on Saturday to decide their fate in the tournament. On the other hand, Colombo Strikers have been eliminated from this tournament. It's time to wrap up this coverage as well. For now, this is Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of co-commentator Ajay Pal Singh and scorer/analyst Manish Bishnoi. CHEERS!