3.3 Gurbaz takes on deep mid wicket, and pays the price! Fullish on middle and leg. Gurbaz's eyes light up and he has an almighty swing at it. Does not quite middle it, though. In fact, it comes off the bottom half and goes a mile up. Kamindu Mendis settles under it on the fence and makes no mistake. A useful cameo but Gurbaz will be disappointed, having not been able to convert it into anything more substantial! 53/1

8.2 straight to the fielder at long on! That fielder was placed very strategically, much straighter than where long on would usually be. Perera went after this length ball that pitched on middle and leg. Backed away, made decent contact but just did not have enough to clear the fence. Simple enough catch, and the Falcons go into the time-out with a timely scalp! 85/2

16.2 Chameera gets the big wicket! Angled in on a length on leg stump. Phillips tries to pick it up over cow corner but he is hitting into the wind. He might have been a touch cramped for room too, and those factors means that he can only pick out Haris on the fence, rather than clear him. A splendid knock, but someone else will now have to take the Strikers close to 200! 154/6

11.1 sharp catch, and Samarawickrama has to walk back! Dug into the track outside off. Samarawickrama shapes for the pull but cannot quite get on top of it. Cannot get completely under it either and he shanks it towards mid wicket, who plucks it out of thin air, with both hands high to his left. Smart grab by Shanaka and the Falcons keep chipping away! 106/3

14.1 massive appeal, and the Falcons have a wicket straight after the time-out! Length on middle and leg, bowled from around the wicket. Wellalage tries the sweep but does not make any contact. The ball raps him on the front pad and the umpire was fairly quick in his judgement. Wellalage has taken this upstairs, though. Did the ball straighten enough? No bat involved and Ball Tracking reckons the ball would have clipped the outside of leg stump. Umpire's Call, and Wellalage has to go! 133/4

14.3 six and out! What a riposte by the Falcons captain! Length on middle and off. Perera opts to hang back this time, looking for something cuter and defter behind point. The ball, though, is not that short to be going back and it skids along to breeze past the bat and knock back middle and off stump. Hasaranga has two in the over! 139/5

19.2 Shadab bites the dust! Nice change-up to hoodwink the batter. This is a cutter, hung up on a length outside off. Shadab tries to go inside out but the lack of pace means that he does not get he purchase he is after. Scuffs it and Chaturanga gobbles up the chance at extra cover. A very enterprising cameo, though, and it has taken the Strikers to the brink of 200! 197/9

17.5 Karunaratne falls! Half-volley on the pads and that was a hit-me ball. Karunaratne, though, can only flick it straight to the fielder at short fine leg. A yard either side and he would have gotten four. Instead, he is now walking back to the shed, with the Strikers still 26 short of the 200-mark! 174/7

18.2 Chameera gets his man! This is much slower and bowled more outside off, asking Taskin to fetch it. He swings at it in agricultural fashion but loses all shape. Slices across it too much and the ball goes straight up. Hasaranga camps under it at mid off and does the rest. A brief check for a front-foot No ball but no transgressions on that front. Taskin has to go! 181/8

3.1 rips through Chandimal's defence! Hard length, pitches on off and then decks back in sharply. Chandimal, because of the inward movement, does not know what to do with it and wafts at the ball. It screams past the inside edge and then kisses the middle and leg bail. Chandimal cannot believe what has happened; Taskin, meanwhile, is pumped! 25/1

12.1 Shadab answers the Strikers' clarion call! Fizzed through on a length outside off. Fletcher goes back to a ball he could have been forward to. Dabs at it and nicks it, with Samarawickrama taking a sharp catch behind the stumps. Just like a few days ago, Shadab stands up against the Falcons when the Strikers needed him to! 120/2

13.3 Pathirana breaks through too! This game is turning! Hard length, slanting into Haris' front arm-pit. Zips off the surface too and rushes him on the pull. He cannot free his arms and he can only glove it through to Samarawickrama. Back to back wickets for the Strikers and they will feel they are right back in this! 124/3

16.2 the scoop goes wrong, and Pathirana has the last laugh! Pathirana sticks to the yorker, and Mendis sticks to the scoop. This, though, is a little closer to the stumps, which means Mendis cannot get as much outside the line as the last ball. Skews up off the toe-end and Samarawickrama takes an easy catch. Can this spark a turnaround for the Strikers? 165/4

19.6 Perera does the trick! The Strikers have won, and look at him wheel away in celebration! Mathews, having brought the Falcons so close, falls agonizingly short! Finally gets the yorker right, just outside off. Mathews can only drill it back to Perera, who fields it cleanly and then runs up to the stumps to run out Mathews. The Falcons lose by two runs, and the Strikers have now done the double over them! 197/8

16.4 two in the over for Pathirana, and the Falcons are no longer flying towards their target! Full and wide outside off. Shanaka looks at the width and throws the plumbing at it. Gets a very good chunk of it but hits it uppishly and in the general direction of deep point. Shadab makes a tricky catch seem pretty easy, and the Strikers are not going anywhere! 165/5

16.6 cleans him up! Pathirana is turning on the style in Dambulla! Sizzling full delivery that tails into leg stump, and does so very late. Hasaranga looks to access the long on region but plays all over it. No contact made and the ball kisses the outside of leg stump. Pathirana is jubilant, the Strikers are jubilant; the Falcons, meanwhile, do not know what has hit them! 165/6

19.1 miscued, and taken superbly! In the slot outside off. Chaturanga looks to go downtown but slices across it too much. Spoons up and Wellalage makes up plenty of ground to his left from extra cover. Keeps his eyes on the ball and snaffles it up. Chaturanga has been put out of his misery, and the Strikers are almost there now! 180/7