Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Wanindu Hasaranga, Falcons captain: "I trusted Kamindu and Dasun. He didn't do much after that first game, but we know what he can do for any team, and he showed what he can do. He has done that for Sri Lanka as well, and he did that very well. The bowlers did the job, and the batters finished very well."

Strikers captain Thisara Perera: "As a bowling unit we did a pretty good job through the tournament, but today we were short of 10-15 runs with the bat. Kamindu and Dasun batted well under pressure. LPL is getting better and better since the first year. I have to thank the organisers."

Player of the match is Kamindu Mendis, who hit 54 off 36. Kamindu: "It was a really good game. When I went to the middle we had lost a few wickets and I wanted to build some partnerships. We needed to stay positive. I believe I should have finished the game."

Yazdhan : "At 65/5 I thought the match was done and dusted and I almost went to sleep but after 5 or6 overs I had to watch this thrilling game"

Falcons have had a rough time of this LPL, having won only three matches in the league stage. Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka's innings saw them through a difficult period. Although both batters were dismissed, they had done enough.

The Falcons bowling set them up, though. Mohammad Hasnain took 3 for 24 from his three overs. But Wanindu Hasaranga's 2 for 21 might have been the bigger contribution. He picked that this was a slower track as well, and bowled plenty of slower bowlers.

18.4
4
Wellalage to RTM Mendis, FOUR, pierces the infield through midwicket and Falcons win. This is a flattish ball on the stumps, flicked hard and once it goes past the midwicket fielder saving the single, they celebrate.
18.3
0
Wellalage to RTM Mendis, no run, fired in outside off, driven to mid off. They look for a single but there's none there
18.2
0
Wellalage to RTM Mendis, no run, flatter ball outside off, fended to point.
18.1
1
Wellalage to Gomez, 1 run, flatter ball, fired in towards off stump, and they have pushed this to mid off. Scores tied now

END OF OVER:
18 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | KAF: 158/8 (2 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.77, RRR: 1.00)

  • Chamath Gomez1 (4b)
  • Ramesh Mendis1 (1b)
  • Matheesha Pathirana4-0-38-3
  • Binura Fernando4-0-35-3
17.6
1
Pathirana to Gomez, 1 run, looks for the yorker, swings it in, but pitches it just short of the blockhole and outside off stump, and Gomez fences this away to deep point. They take a single and just need two
17.5
0
Pathirana to Gomez, no run, back of a length ball outside off, leaves that one alone.
17.4
0
Pathirana to Gomez, no run, yorker outside off at 152kph. Dug out with a short backlift. Gomez survives.
17.3
1
Pathirana to RTM Mendis, 1 run, a very low full toss, swinging in to the batter. Got his bat down, and got an inside edge to it, and scampers a run to midwicket
17.3
1w
Pathirana to RTM Mendis, 1 wide, a third wide in a row. There's some reverse here, and Pathirana is not quite controlling it. Looking for that magic yorker.
17.3
1w
Pathirana to RTM Mendis, 1 wide, another big appeal, but that's another wide. This is a short of a length ball past the leg stump. Flies past Ramesh's gloves though.
17.3
1w
Pathirana to RTM Mendis, 1 wide, yorker, flung down leg stump so that's a wide. Pathirana searching desperately for a wicket here.
17.2
1lb
Pathirana to Gomez, 1 leg bye, huge appeal, but that yorker is going way down leg. Hits the batter's back leg. Strikers don't bother reviewing.
17.1
W
Pathirana to PHKD Mendis, OUT, oh wow! A magic ball, that takes the outside of off stump at 150kph, and sends Kamindu back to the dugout. This is angled across Kamindu, and possibly moving away slightly, but in any case, the best batter of the match has missed this ball and had his off stump pegged back. Can Pathirana get more this over?

PHKD Mendis b Pathirana 54 (36b 3x4 3x6) SR: 150.00

New batter is Ramesh Mendis. He can bat for sure. Falcons still have the game in hand. Here's Pathirana with the ball.

END OF OVER:
17 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | KAF: 152/7 (8 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.94, RRR: 2.66)

  • Kamindu Mendis54 (35b)
  • Binura Fernando4-0-35-3
  • Matheesha Pathirana3-0-33-2
16.6
W
Fernando to Shanaka, OUT, yorker into the stumps. Slower ball, fingers rolled over it, and Shanaka is early on the shot trying to bash this down the ground. He misses, and Binura finds the base of off stump.

MD Shanaka b Fernando 39 (21b 4x4 2x6) SR: 185.71

16.5
1
Fernando to PHKD Mendis, 1 run, full, on the stumps, flicked to deep midwicket and they look for two, but it's just a single this time
16.4
1
Fernando to Shanaka, 1 run, back of a length on thigh pad, pushed too midwicket

Kandy 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6ADS FletcherLD Chandimal
2nd16ADS FletcherMohammad Haris
3rd16ADS FletcherPHKD Mendis
4th26AD MathewsPHKD Mendis
5th1PHKD MendisPW Hasaranga
6th18PC de SilvaPHKD Mendis
7th69MD ShanakaPHKD Mendis
8th0RTM MendisPHKD Mendis
9th11RTM MendisC Gomez