That's it from us today. So the #3 and #4 seed have advanced to the final. Who'd have guessed that at the start of the semis? Come back on Wednesday to see whether Jaffna Stallions or Galle Gladiators will lift the championship trophy. Until then, I'm Peter Della Penna. Take care!
Man of the Match is Johnson Charles: "It was a good pitch but it definitely was holding a bit for the slow bowlers so you couldn't really hit through the line against the spinners. But all in all it was a good pitch. At the start I didn't [read Hasaranga], I just move with what my eyes see and it's working."
Jaffna Stallions captain Thisara Perera: "I was a little worried. We had a lot of experiments [in previous games] but we went back to full strength. [Runouts] will happen in any cricket, even T20Is or 50-cricket, but at the end of the day we won. As a bowling unit, we've done a really good job. In this kind of weather and conditions, it's tough to grip the ball. Wanindu Hasaranga, he's doing a great job for us."
Dambulla Viiking captain Dasun Shanaka: "I think we did really good in our bowling, especially Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha. Hopefully they'll carry this momentum into the international matches. The two runouts cost the game for us. If they were not, the game would have been different. 165 was gettable on this wicket. Hasaranga is a matchwinner. There are a lot of positives in this team, especially the way Dickwella kept behind the stumps." Shanaka then names basically every single player in his squad as having had a good tournament.
Matt: "Seems crazy that the Kings and Viikings (the top 2 teams in the group stage) will not make it to the final!"
10.40 pm A topsy-turvy semi-final. Jaffna were way in front the first 10 overs, then looked like they may have bungled the victory with a significant stumble in the second half of their batting. But the bowlers ensured this was a far easier win on paper than it really should have been. Dambulla with a very weak fight once the third wicket went down. They lost 5 for 34 in a middle phase, 8 for 54 in all to end the match. Once Dickwella fell, the innings more resembled Humpty Dumpty. Credit to the tournament's leading wicket-taker Hasaranga with the golden arm at the bowling crease and Usman Shinwari with the golden arm at short third man creating multiple runouts to hasten the collapse. Jaffna Stallions now move on to join Galle Gladiators in the final on Wednesday.
CAK Rajitha b PC de Silva 2 (11b 0x4 0x6) SR: 18.18
Chaturanga to bowl the final over. Mathematically over already with 38 needed to win.
END OF OVER:19 | 3 Runs | DAT: 128/9 (38 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.73, RRR: 38.00)
- Kasun Rajitha2 (10b)
- Lahiru Kumara1 (3b)
- Suranga Lakmal3-0-24-1
- Duanne Olivier4-0-35-1
END OF OVER:18 | 17 Runs 1 Wkt | DAT: 125/9 (41 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.94, RRR: 20.50)
- Lahiru Kumara0 (1b)
- Kasun Rajitha1 (6b)
- Duanne Olivier4-0-35-1
- Wanindu Hasaranga4-1-15-3
RTM Mendis c Usman Shinwari b Olivier 26 (10b 4x4 1x6) SR: 260.00
END OF OVER:17 | (wicket maiden) | DAT: 108/8 (58 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.35, RRR: 19.33)
- Kasun Rajitha0 (5b)
- Ramesh Mendis12 (6b)
- Wanindu Hasaranga4-1-15-3
- Duanne Olivier3-0-18-0
Not sure what point is in blocking out balls now. Might as well go down in a blaze of glory. 50-run loss is as good as a 5-run loss when you're in a semi-final.