Match 16, Colombo, December 17, 2022, 07:30 PM
Colombo Stars
106/10(19.1ov)
Kandy Falcons
108/1(16.0ov)
Kandy Falcons beat Colombo Stars by 9 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Chamika Karunaratne
Commentry
Right then, that's all from this game. Sunday, 18th December brings yet another double header of the Lanka Premier League 2022. The first game of the day sees Galle Gladiators take on Jaffna Kings and that game will begin at 3.00 pm IST (9.30 am GMT). It will be followed by Kandy Falcons taking on Dambulla Aura and that game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2.00 pm GMT) Do join us in advance for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!
Wanindu Hasaranga, the skipper of Kandy Falcons, says that they played good. Adds that they had a tough team selection as they missed on some players but it went well for them. Says that maybe he will go with the same team but it is not planned. Ends by saying that they are all playing good cricket and it feels good to be the captain of this team.
Angelo Mathews, the skipper of Colombo Stars, says that they wanted to bat first considering there was no dew. Adds that by batting first, they wanted to put pressure on the opposition. Feels that they did not adapt to the conditions after losing wickets in the Powerplay. Reckons that the shot selection was poor. Ends by saying that he had a niggle and did not want to take a chance by coming out to field.
Chamika Karunaratne is the Player of the Match for his match-winning spell of 4 for 11. He says that he is getting some positivity and it is helping him a lot. Adds that the catch which was taken was good and he need to keep on working hard. Ends by saying that he sticks to bowling on his length and it was his day and he feels good.
Stay tuned for the presentation...
Earlier in the game, Colombo Stars were off to a shaky start after opting to bat first. Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka got decent starts but neither of them was able to carry on. With three wickets down inside the Powerplay, Colombo Stars failed to recover from that start as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Angelo Mathews played a skipper’s knock of 41 runs to help his side cross the 100-run mark. With no assistance from the other end, he had to go for the big shots and he was dismissed in the final over to bring an end to the Colombo Stars' innings.
Having failed to put up a good score on the board, the onus was on Colombo Stars bowlers to step up and take early inroads with the new ball. They did manage to get an early wicket but failed to build pressure and keep the opposition batters quiet. With not a big total to defend, Colombo Stars bowlers were behind the eight ball throughout the innings and in the end, failed to defend the total. Jeffrey Vandersay and Benny Howell were economical with the ball but no scoreboard pressure meant Kandy Falcons batters nudged them around for singles without taking any risks.
An easy win for Kandy Falcons! A clinical performance with both bat and ball sees Kandy Falcons cruise to victory in this encounter. While chasing a modest total, they did lose Minod Bhanuka in the second over but Andre Fletcher and Kamindu Mendis stitched an unbeaten 101-run stand to ensure there were no more hiccups in the chase and saw Kandy Falcons home with 9 wickets in hand and four overs to spare. This convincing win strengthens Kandy Falcons' position at the top of the points table. They now have 12 points on the board and look set to finish in the top two.
In over# 16
4
1
0
0
2
0
Ravi Bopara 7/0(1)
15.6
4
FOUR! Slightly shorter and on middle, Andre Fletcher shuffles across and helps it through fine leg for a boundary! A comprehensive performance from the Kandy Falcons and they win here by 9 wickets!
15.5
1
Back of a length and on off, Kamindu Mendis punches it to mid on for one.
15.4
.
Slightly shorter and outside off, Kamindu Mendis leaves it alone.
15.3
.
Bowls it outside off again, Kamindu Mendis taps it to the man at covers.
15.2
2
Another one outside off, Kamindu Mendis drives it to deep covers for a brace. Fifty up for Kamindu Mendis.
15.1
.
Bowls it outside off, Kamindu Mendis cuts it but finds the man at point.
In over# 15
0
0
1
0
0
4
Kasun Rajitha 19/0(3)
14.6
.
On a length and outside off, slower too. Andre Fletcher leaves it alone.
14.5
.
Slower one outside off, Andre Fletcher plays it with soft hands towards point.
14.4
1
Good length anglig it in, Kamindu Mendis flicks it to mid-wicket for one.