6:35pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for Match 9. In less than an hour, the Colombo Strikers, fresh off a win yesterday, will clash with Dambulla Sixers, yet to get off the mark this season. Do join us for that game too. Until next time, this is goodbye from me, Chetan and Ranjith. Take care, folks!
Isuru Udana, Player of the Match: The wickets are very flat. Only thing is we have to try and take early wickets, that puts pressure on the batters. Think I did that today. There is not much swing, we have to try and put the ball in the proper areas. Just wanted to do the basics well and it worked today.
Niroshan Dickwella, Galle Marvels captain: It was a great team performance. Isuru bowled really well and that is why I gave him an extra over (in the powerplay), and he took two wickets. I don't tell them (the bowlers) much. They know their strengths and I ask them to come up with their plans, I back them. We wanted to take the bowlers on in the powerplay. Brilliant performance in the powerplay (getting to a record score in the LPL).
Wanindu Hasaranga, Kandy Falcons captain: We were 15-20 runs short. It was a fresh wicket and in the first 6-7 overs, the ball was holding up. After that, we batted really well - Fletcher, Angelo and myself. The wicket was fantastic after we batted, and we did not bowl with discipline. That is the main thing we did not do. If we had bowled with discipline, we could have defended that total.
6:24pm It was a cakewalk for Galle in the end, and that was largely down to the pyrotechnics Hales and Seifert unfurled in the powerplay. They blazed away to a record score and clipped the Falcons' wings, even before they could think about taking flight. Seifert then carried on and ensured there were no further hiccups, finishing with an unbeaten 82 and ending the game with 17 balls to spare.
Lots to think about for the Falcons. Apart from Shoriful, everyone came in for some tap. Their bowling in the powerplay was not great, and they bowled much fuller than Galle, paying the price ultimately. Hasaranga came back well after a 27-run first over but those runs, it could be argued, signaled the beginning of the end for the Falcons. Stick around, we should hear from the captains and the Player of the Match soon.
Just five needed. Shanaka to bowl what could be the final over of this game
END OF OVER:17 | 8 Runs | GAM: 171/4 (5 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 10.05, RRR: 1.66)
- Tim Seifert78 (48b)
- Sahan Arachchige9 (9b)
- Shoriful Islam4-0-32-2
- Lakshan Sandakan4-0-46-1
Shoriful to bowl out. Just 13 needed now
END OF OVER:16 | 11 Runs | GAM: 163/4 (13 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 10.18, RRR: 3.25)
- Tim Seifert76 (45b)
- Sahan Arachchige3 (6b)
- Lakshan Sandakan4-0-46-1
- Dushmantha Chameera4-0-42-0