Player of the Match
Player of the Match

That's it from our live coverage to this game. The second leg of today's double-header is just starting, and my friend Peter Della Penna is getting the live commentary fired up. Join us over on that page for the Gladiators v Tuskers match.

***

Thisara Perera, Stallions captain and player of the match: "Normally I never thinking about the wickets that have fallen. I back myself. It's a really good surface to bat and bowl first. I have to thank my bowling unit because they've done a really good job on this wicket. Now with my batting I give myself a little more of a chance by taking some time to get in at the start of my innings. In the past I was just hitting, hitting, hitting."

Dasun Shanaka, Viiking captain: "We were very much on top of the game at the start, but our execution after that was poor. I didn't expect to give away so many runs. I could have spoken to my fast bowlers and gone with different plans. Thisara took the game totally away from us. We need to change the team because this is not the best combination going forward."

***

What a cakewalk for Stallions this turned out to be, and this was their second comfortable victory in the tournament. Insane to think that this is how the game turned out when they had been 64 for 5 in the ninth over. Chaturanga de Silva and Wanindu Hasaranga supported Thisara Perera brilliantly though, as Thisara applied his considereable T20 experience to launch a roaring counterattack that saw him hit 64 runs off his last 21 balls, and make 97 off 44 balls overall. At one stage they were looking like they'd struggle to make 160, but they raced to 218 for 7, and Viiking were always going to struggle to challenge that against this Stallions attack.

Viiking couldn't really get much momentum going in their own innings. Dickwella and Tharanga didn't last long enough, and Paul Stirling could barely get bat to ball. Shanaka and Patel made a fist of it for a bit, but the required rate was getting away from them. In the end, Viiking went down in a hail of wickets.

With this win, Stallions have indicated that they are a team to be reckoned with at the LPL. If they can recover from such a horror start to record such a huge victory, they have depth and versatility going for them.

19.1
W
PC de Silva to Aftab Alam, OUT, terrible mix up, and that's the end of this game folks. Kumara wants the run and races out, but and Alam responds with a yes initially, before changing his mind and stopping short, Kumara is stranded as the throw comes in from Hasaranga at cover.

CBRLS Kumara run out 0 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Chaturanga de Silva to bowl the last over - his first of the innings.

END OF OVER:
19 | 1 Run 1 Wkt | DAT: 152/9 (67 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.00, RRR: 67.00)

  • Lahiru Kumara0 (2b)
  • Aftab Alam1 (5b)
  • Usman Shinwari4-0-16-3
  • Duanne Olivier4-0-42-1
18.6
0
Usman Shinwari to Kumara, no run, full outside off , Kumara tries to flay this away through cover but misses. End of a great bowling performance from Shinwari, who has picked up three wickets for 14.
18.5
0
Usman Shinwari to Kumara, no run, shortish outside off. Batsman tries to club this away and misses

Danish: "Maybe I'm one of the few but kind of disappointed in Dasun today..he kept looking on from the sidelines for too long. Should have stepped up and came in much earlier imo. Had he done that they might have chased this if not gotten much closer." I think team selection definitely needs to be better from Dambulla. They have too many bowlers in the XI. And some - like Pushpakumara - were wasted today.

18.4
W
Usman Shinwari to Pushpakumara, OUT, sharp bouncer at the throat, Pushpakumara is backing away and he can't handle that. Gets the bat across almost in self defence, and it takes a top edge and flies towards short fine leg. There's almost a collision between the keeper and Binura Fernando, but Binura pulls away at the last moment and lets Moores swallow that one with his gloves

PM Pushpakumara c †Moores b Usman Shinwari 0 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

18.3
1
Usman Shinwari to Aftab Alam, 1 run, fullish just outside off, Alam is backing away and has to reach to get bat to it. They take one as the ball goes to cover.
18.2
0
Usman Shinwari to Aftab Alam, no run, yorker, fired in at the stumps. Alam backs away and digs it out back to the bowler
18.1
0
Usman Shinwari to Aftab Alam, no run, fullish, speared into the pads, just defended

Sarthak: "17.3 - Consecutive 2nd bouncer. No ball ?? Am I mixing up a rule here @afidelf??" I don't think the second one was head high though.

END OF OVER:
18 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | DAT: 151/8 (68 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.38, RRR: 34.00)

  • Malinda Pushpakumara0 (1b)
  • Aftab Alam0 (2b)
  • Duanne Olivier4-0-42-1
  • Thisara Perera3-0-23-2
17.6
0
Olivier to Pushpakumara, no run, short again, chest high, outside off stump. Pushpakumara pokes at it but doesn't connect.
17.5
W
Olivier to Mendis, OUT, another chest-high short ball, and this time, Olivier emerges the victor. Mendis tries to lean away and ramp that over the wicketkeeper, but can only get an edge to that ball and Tom Moores comfortably completes the catch. Some reward for Olivier, who has been expensive

RTM Mendis c †Moores b Olivier 10 (8b 0x4 1x6) SR: 125.00

17.4
6
Olivier to Mendis, SIX, Mendis finally connects, and he connects beautifully. Another ball at the chest, and he aims that big swipe across the line again. Comes right out of the middle of the bat and goes flat all the way for six.
17.3
0
Olivier to Mendis, no run, short again, outside off stump, and Mendis lets this one go.
17.2
0
Olivier to Mendis, no run, bouncer and that's hit him on the visor of the helmet I think. The stem guard on the back of the helmet goes flying off, as Mendis' misses with his heave across the line. The umpires are in to make sure the batsman is ok.
17.1
0
Olivier to Mendis, no run, length on off stump, Mendis throws his head back and tries to clobber it over cow corner, but it hits the toe end of the bat and dribbles away to the offside

END OF OVER:
17 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | DAT: 145/7 (74 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.52, RRR: 24.66)

  • Aftab Alam0 (2b)
  • Ramesh Mendis4 (3b)
  • Thisara Perera3-0-23-2
  • Binura Fernando4-0-41-2
16.6
0
Perera to Aftab Alam, no run, short ball, over the top of the stumps. Alam clears the front leg once more and misses with his swipe
16.5
0
Perera to Aftab Alam, no run, short of a length just outside off. Aftab clears the front leg and tries to thwack this over cover but misses
16.4
1
Perera to Mendis, 1 run, back of a length outside off, run down to third man

Prafin: "I thought Ramesh Mendis was batsman. Am i wrong or some strategy?" I think he's batting too low too.

Aftab Alam is new to the crease and is at the non-striker's the batsmen having crossed.

Viiking 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st24PR StirlingN Dickwella
2nd15WU TharangaPR Stirling
3rd24WU TharangaSR Patel
4th26SR PatelMD Shanaka
5th35Anwar AliMD Shanaka
6th17LD MadushankaMD Shanaka
7th3LD MadushankaRTM Mendis
8th7Aftab AlamRTM Mendis
9th1PM PushpakumaraAftab Alam
10th0Aftab AlamCBRLS Kumara