That's all from this contest, folks! Thank you for staying with us throughout the contest. For now, this is Deepak Prakash signing off on behalf of scorer/analyst Bishal Mandal. CHEERS!
Mohammad Nabi (Dambulla Sixers captain): "Overall, the team's performance today was good. In our team meetings, we discussed the need for the bowling group to give away fewer boundaries.
In the last game, we conceded 12 to 14 boundaries, which was too much. Today, both spinners and fast bowlers did really well in the middle overs, taking wickets and restricting the opposition. We tried to keep the ball away from the batters, varied our pace, and avoided bowling stump to stump since it's easier to hit from there. Instead, we bowled away from off stump, and that strategy worked for us. That's why I was successful."
Thisara Perera (Colombo Strikers captain): "It is a very good wicket, but we fell 20-25 runs short. As a team, we need to perform better and focus on our upcoming matches.
This is a great batting pitch, and we need to score at least 200 to win. We couldn't execute well in the middle overs. Winning or losing doesn't matter as we have to expect everything in this beautiful game. Looking forward to the next matches."
Kusal Perera (Player of the Match): "(On his injured right hand) Hopefully, it is getting better. It's under treatment and we have to wait for tomorrow. The team needed me badly, so I stepped in and batted.
(On not getting picked initially in LPL) I was a bit disappointed, but I'm grateful to the team owners for giving me the opportunity, and I'm happy to perform well."
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Kusal Perera
11:01 PM IST, Local Time: Mark Chapman finishes off the things in style! Dambulla Sixers thump Colombo Strikers by 8 wickets and 13 balls to spare. They win their first game in this LPL and keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Earlier, after being invited to bat first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (36) and Angelo Perera (41) added 73 runs for the first wicket. Following the departure of Perera, Colombo Strikers lost another four wickets in quick succession but Glenn Phillips and Chamika Karunaratne paired up in the middle and steadied the ship. Phillips played a valuable knock of 52 runs off 36 balls, while Karunaratne remained unbeaten on 27 runs off 12 balls and helped his side cross the 180-run mark. Nuwan Pradeep and Mohammad Nabi bagged a couple of wickets for Dambulla, while Dushan Hemantha celebrated a solitary wicket.
In pursuit of a hefty 185 runs, Reeza Hendricks (54 off 39) and Kusal Perera (80 off 50) provided a scintillating start to the Dambulla-based franchise. The pair notched up their respective fifties and added a mammoth 154 runs for the first wicket. Taskin Ahmed removed both openers in the span of three balls in the 15th over of the match but it was a little too late for Colombo by then.
Lahiru Udara (11* off 8) and Mark Chapman (23* off 10) paired up in the middle and the latter smashed three maximums in the 18th over of the innings to seal the deal for their side.
Stay tuned for the presentation...
17.5 M Pathirana to M Chapman
6 SIX! Chapman finishes off the things in style! Dambulla Sixers win by 8 wickets and 13 balls to spare, registering their first win of the season! Full-length delivery on the middle and leg stump. In the slot for Chapman, who swings through the line and whacks it down the ground for a half-a-dozen runs to end the game.
17.4 M Pathirana to M Chapman
0 Full and around off. Chapman drives it to cover.
17.3 M Pathirana to M Chapman
6 SIX MORE! This time in the off-side! Short of a length delivery outside off. Chapman jumps inside the crease and throws the kitchen sink at it. Gets enough connection on it, with the ball flying over deep backward point for a maximum.
17.2 M Pathirana to M Chapman
6 SIX! A much-needed Dambulla! Short of a length delivery on the middle and leg stump line. Chapman gets on his toes and pulls it over deep square leg for a maximum.
17.1 M Pathirana to L Udara
1 Over the wicket. Yorker on the pads. Udara flicks it behind square in the leg side for a run.
Dambulla need 17 runs off 18 balls. Pathirana to bowl out.
OVER 17
Dambulla Sixers
169/2
Mark Chapman
5(6)
Lahiru Udara
10(7)
Binura Fernando
0-25(4.0)
16.6 B Fernando to L Udara
1 Low full toss on the pads. Udara flicks it to mid-wicket for a single to end the over.
16.5 B Fernando to M Chapman
1 Short of a length slower delivery on the stumps. Chapman checks his pulls shot and drags it down to square leg for a run.
16.4 B Fernando to L Udara
1 Short of a length outside off. Udara cuts it down to deep point for a run.
16.3 B Fernando to L Udara
4 FOUR! CHEEKY! Chaos in the middle! Back of a length delivery on the stumps. Udara shuffles a tad and scoops it over the keeper's head. The short fine leg and short third-man fielders converge towards it but end up crashing into each other and the ball races away for a four.