Player of the Match
Player of the Match

6:45pm Right. That will be a wrap from us for this game. The action, though, does not stop. In less than an hour, the Colombo Stars will take on the Kandy Falcons. Do hop in to our coverage of that encounter. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat), on behalf of Sudeep as well, signing off. Goodbye, and take care!

Dasun Shanaka, Dambulla Aura captain: First time we did a lot of things 100% well. The mental preparation and the practice. The boys prepared well before the game and it worked out for us. They (Cox and Daniel) have been outstanding players. It was the right time to deliver.

Kusal Mendis, Galle Gladiators captain: (On his injury) It is good, it is better. (On the score) Wicket was very good. We lost too many wickets in the first few overs and that is why we were bowled out. I think batters did not do too well today. If we win one of our two remaining games, we will have a chance. (On team going through the right processes) I tell my team every day that we have good batters and bowlers. Hopefully we can come back in the next couple of games.

Jordan Cox, Player of the Match: It is good to get the first win on the board. Good to contribute today. Daniel batted awesome today so congratulations to him as well. Idea was to score more runs and take more wickets. We tried to have fun and express ourselves and that is what we did today. We are on the board and we are in the competition, that is the main thing. Hopefully we can sneak in through the back door.

Time for the post-match presentation!

6:34pm The Gladiators got off to the worst possible start, losing Mendis and Dabare inside the first two overs. Through the rest of the powerplay, they ensured they scored at a healthy rate, although that came at the cost of four wickets. That, as it turned out, proved key because they also huffed and puffed during the middle overs. Iftikhar struck a couple of lusty blows but that was not nearly enough in the end.

Dambulla, meanwhile, would be pleased with how they put together a coherent bowling display. Their spinners were excellent in the middle, as were their fast bowlers during the powerplay. Those efforts meant that they did not really have to worry about the death overs. Cox and Daniel were also brilliant earlier in the day, and helped Dambulla produce a performance that has kept them alive, and might have even made them believe that they can secure a play-off berth, especially if they can find a bit of consistency.

19.4
W
Pramod Madushan to Sandakan, OUT, knocks him over, and Dambulla win for the first time this season! Excellent yorker on middle and leg stump. Sandakan has a swing at it but is awfully late on the stroke. The ball breezes past his bat and clatters into the stumps!

PADLR Sandakan b Pramod Madushan 4 (16b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00

19.3
0
Pramod Madushan to Sandakan, no run, low full toss outside off stump. Sandakan drives it straight to mid off
19.2
0
Pramod Madushan to Sandakan, no run, back of a length delivery outside off stump that hurries onto the batter. Sandakan goes back and stabs it down the ground
19.1
2
Pramod Madushan to Sandakan, 2 runs, full delivery on middle and off stump. Sandakan plants his front foot and drills it back past the bowler for a couple of runs

Madushan to bowl the final over

END OF OVER:
19 | 2 Runs 1 Wkt | GG: 128/9 (51 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.73, RRR: 51.00)

  • Lakshan Sandakan2 (12b)
  • Nuwan Thushara1 (3b)
  • Sikandar Raza3-0-5-2
  • Noor Ahmad4-0-17-1
18.6
1lb
Sikandar Raza to Sandakan, 1 leg bye, back of a length delivery on leg stump. Sandakan misses another flick as the ball deflects off the thigh pad for a leg bye
18.5
1
Sikandar Raza to Thushara, 1 run, full delivery outside off stump. Thushara reaches out for it and hits it towards the bowler, who can't stop the single
18.4
0
Sikandar Raza to Thushara, no run, length delivery just outside off stump. Another very hands-only block into the off side
18.3
0
Sikandar Raza to Thushara, no run, full delivery on off stump. Thushara defends it back to the bowler. Not very conventionally, I must say

Thushara walks out at 11

18.2
W
Sikandar Raza to Pradeep, OUT, straight to deep mid wicket! Short delivery outside off stump and Pradeep could have hit that almost anywhere. Instead, he hits it straight down deep mid wicket's throat, and Raza is not complaining! This is the second wicket he has gotten with such a delivery today!

N Pradeep c Daniel b Sikandar Raza 10 (9b 0x4 1x6) SR: 111.11

18.1
0
Sikandar Raza to Pradeep, no run, full delivery outside off stump. Pradeep comes forward and pokes it towards extra cover

53 needed off 12. How close can Galle get to this target? NRR could come into the equation at some point in this tournament. Raza to continue

END OF OVER:
18 | 2 Runs | GG: 126/8 (53 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.00, RRR: 26.50)

  • Lakshan Sandakan2 (11b)
  • Nuwan Pradeep10 (7b)
  • Noor Ahmad4-0-17-1
  • Dilum Sudeera4-0-35-1
17.6
0
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, no run, back of a length delivery on leg stump that hurries onto the batter. Sandakan is again late on the stroke as the ball strikes the thigh pad
17.5
0
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, no run, another wrong'un outside off stump. Sandakan has no clue about it as the ball breezes past the outside edge
17.4
0
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, no run, googly on a back of a length outside off stump. Sandakan swishes and misses
17.3
0
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, no run, full delivery on middle and leg stump. Sandakan lunges forward and pats it gently towards short mid wicket
17.3
1w
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, 1 wide, full delivery down the leg side. Sandakan does not get bat on it but the umpire has no qualms in calling it a wide either
17.2
0
Noor Ahmad to Sandakan, no run, back of a length delivery on leg stump. Sandakan misses his flick as the ball pings into his thigh pad
17.1
1
Noor Ahmad to Pradeep, 1 run, back of a length delivery on off stump. Pradeep goes back and hacks it towards deep mid wicket for a single

Noor to bowl out now

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs | GG: 124/8 (55 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.29, RRR: 18.33)

  • Nuwan Pradeep9 (6b)
  • Lakshan Sandakan2 (6b)
  • Dilum Sudeera4-0-35-1
  • Sikandar Raza2-0-4-1
16.6
1
Thilakaratne to Pradeep, 1 run, length delivery outside off stump. Pradeep hangs back and jabs it into the off side for a single
16.5
0
Thilakaratne to Pradeep, no run, full delivery angled into leg stump. Pradeep swipes at it and misses. Strikes the pads too but going down leg
16.4
0
Thilakaratne to Pradeep, no run, full delivery just outside off stump. Pradeep comes half forward and defends it back to the bowler
16.3
1
Thilakaratne to Sandakan, 1 run, back of a length delivery on middle and off stump. Sandakan waits in his crease and works it towards deep mid wicket for one
16.2
1
Thilakaratne to Pradeep, 1 run, back of a length delivery on leg stump. Pradeep goes back and turns the ball behind square on the leg side for a single

Galle 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st5BKG MendisPTM Dabare
2nd0LU IgalagamagePTM Dabare
3rd41Asad ShafiqLU Igalagamage
4th6LU IgalagamageMNK Fernando
5th37Iftikhar AhmedLU Igalagamage
6th4Imad WasimIftikhar Ahmed
7th13Wahab RiazIftikhar Ahmed
8th8PADLR SandakanIftikhar Ahmed
9th12N PradeepPADLR Sandakan
10th4PADLR SandakanN Thushara