DS vs CK

That's all that we have for you from the league stage of the Lanka Premier League. Galle Marvels, Jaffna Kings, Colombo Strikers and the Kandy Falcons - we have our top four - in that order. We'll be back on Thursday with playoff action - the Galle Marvels taking on the Jaffna Kings in Qualifier one in the afternoon, followed by a knockout clash between the Colombo Strikers and the Kandy Falcons in the evening. Join us right here on Sportskeeda for our coverage of them, and a lot more in between! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta and Pradeep Somasekhar. Good night!

Mohammad Nabi is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: Tough game on a tricky pitch, we did our bets to put runs on the board, but early wickets didn't help the cause. Small partnership in the middle helped get to something, if I had played till the end, would've been different. You have take a bit of time, waited for the bad balls to punish. Just play the simple cricket, watch the ball and play accordingly, just be cautious with the leg spinner, watch out for googly. In the huddle, we kept talking about it, gave a shot at it and had nothing to lose and if we had taken wickets early, we did but we nearly did. Lovely tournament, enjoyed as a captain, unfortunately didn't qualify for the playoffs, really enjoyed.

Thisara Perera (Colombo Strikers captain): We knew it was not going to be easy to bat second, told my boys to hung on but didn't work. It happens in cricket, but it's a lesson learnt. As a bowling unit, we did splendidly well but the batting didn't click in the run chase. Ready for the business end.

Match summary:

Dambulla Sixers win by 28 runs

Mohammad Nabi 40 (23) | Nuwan Pradeep 3/20 (2.1)
Thisara Perera 30 (31) | Binura Fernando 3/15 (4)

Dambulla Sixers needed something really special to bundle the Colombo Strikers under 48, and they bowled and fielded in the powerplay as per the occasion. Mark Chapman set the standards all by himself - the New Zealander threw himself around the field, took two amazing catches, and the rest of the team took a cue and saved a good 20 runs in the first six overs.

Muhammad Waseem made an effort to deliver a quick finish - he went four, four, six against Nuwan Pradeep in the second over, but was stupendously held by Chapman right after dispatching the ball over deep square. Perera and Gurbaz fell on either side of Waseem, and once Glenn Phillips tried to go big over the leg side and produced a top-edge, Colombo Strikers were in strife.

Shadab Khan's run out further added to the woes of the Strikers. Thisara Perera and Isitha Wijesundera were then stifled by two offies - Mohammad Nabi and Akila Dananjaya - they played and missed on several occasions, often unable to decipher whether the ball would turn or not. Perera, though, went for the odd big hit, and that helped the Strikers keep up with the required rate - just about.

Having bowled himself and Dananjaya out in succession, Nabi decided to employ more spin in part-timers Nuwanidu Fernando and Dushan Hemantha. While the batters succeeded in taking on the former, Wijesundera holed out trying to hit the leggie out the ground. With just the remainder of the tail to bat with, Thisara Perera's job was going to be a lot tougher. The Strikers were bundled out eventually, and they miss out on a spot in the top two as a result.

Would you believe it? Dambulla Sixers will be able to bow out with their heads held high - they've just defended the lowest total in the Lanka Premier League successfully!

18.1 Nuwan Pradeep to Thisara Perera, OUT! MILES UP IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! It's all over. Strikers can't make it to the top of the table and that means they'll be playing the Eliminator. Dambulla Sixers finish with a consolation win as they didn't allow the Strikers to get to the Qualifier 1. Back of a length outside the off-stump, Perera swings at it but skied it. Chapman at deep backward point, judged it to perfection and pouches it safely.

Thisara Perera c Reeza Hendricks b Nuwan Pradeep 30 (31b, 1x4, 3x6)

Pathirana had one job - dig the yorker out, and so he did. 29 off 12 - simple equation for the batting side - but Thisara Perera might have to do all of it.

17.6 Nuwan Thushara to Matheesha Pathirana, OH! Nails the yorker, right up in the blockhole. Pathirana manages to dig it out into the on-side.

17.4 Nuwan Thushara to Thisara Perera, full and goes just inside the tramline as it was angled wide of off-stump. Perera had to reach and misses.

17.3 Nuwan Thushara to Thisara Perera, SIX! BOOM! That is now a mighty hit from Perera. Short outside the off-stump, Perera swings and clubbed it all the way over deep mid-wicket boundary for a maximum.

17.2 Nuwan Thushara to Thisara Perera, DROPPED! Wickramasinghe almost pulled off a blinder, brave effort from Sixers once again. Back of a length outside the off-stump, Perera swings big but skied it. Wickramasinghe comes sprinting from deep, dives but can't cling on.

Goodness me - metaphorically, it took Binura a couple of business days to make it back at the bowler's end. He put the dive in - wouldn't have mattered anyway. The Strikers are down to their last pair!

17.1 Nuwan Thushara to Thisara Perera, OH! Did Binura slide his bat back in time? Slower one, back of a length outside the off-stump. Perera reaches and belted it to deep extra-cover. Perera wanted to get back to strike desperately. Bullet throw from the fielder and Binura had to put in a full length dive as the throw comes to Thushara who disturbs the stumps.

Replays confirmed that Binura is well short and has to go here. Strikers are nine down and are in scare of losing that top spot here!

Binura Fernando run out (Dushan Hemantha/Nuwan Thushara) 2 (5b, 0x4, 0x6)

Looks like there's a fresh twist in the tale! Wijesundera saw the leggie, tried to hit him with the turn but perished. Thisara Perera needs support...