And that's that! Avishka wins it with a six! Tossed up outside off, and Avishka has a big swing across the line. This goes high and the man at the deep midwicket boundary throws himself to take the catch, and with it goes over the ropes as he parries the ball. And with that the Kings become the first side to qualify for the playoffs!
Dambulla vs Jaffna, 14th Match at Colombo, LPL, Dec 13 2021 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Jaffna won by 7 wickets (with 64 balls remaining)
And with that it's all from us folks. Join us again tomorrow for a crunch clash between fourth and fifth place - the Colombo Stars and the Kandy Warriors squaring off in the first game. And then later in the evening the Giants will be back in action against the Galle Gladiators. But for now, good night!
10.35pm So the brothers de Silva sweep the post-match awards. Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva is presented with the Power Hitter of the Match award for his 18-ball 37. His elder brother Chaturanga takes home the Player of the Match award after his 4 for 16 took apart the Giants' lower and middle order.
Asked on playing with his younger brother, he says: "I'm never happy to play against him, but I'm happy to be on his side."
Giants skipper Dasun Shanaka meanwhile bemoans losing the toss, and is happy to chalk this up to a bad day: "Losing the toss played a major part. But really it's just a bad day of cricket. We've been playing good cricket up to this point, so nothing to worry about too much. [Going forward we might] need some experienced players in the batting order. [We're likely] going to give the bench a chance in the upcoming games."
Kings captain Thisara Perera meanwhile is just stoked to be leading this team: "I'm really happy to lead this team. I don't really need to do much, they're all such great professionals."
10.25pm Well that was dominant wasn't it? Certainly didn't feel like a first vs second affair. Thisara won yet another important toss after rain had delayed the start, and was happy to chase. His bowlers though made sure the batters barely had anything to do, as they rampaged through the Giants batting lineup.
Jaffna only used their spinners, who extracted good turn and bounce from this surface, though the Giants can't be anything but extremely disappointed with the display they put in with the bat. Phil Salt top-scored with a 22-ball 23...and that was it really. None of their batters could stay with him at the crease, and none seem interested in building an innings.
The Kings though have certainly put the rest of the tournament on notice. Whatever they attempt seems to be working for them, and it's hard to see a weakness in their squad at the moment.
Big spin straight away. Turns in from outside off, but the batter stays back and cuts this in front of square.
Here's Ramesh Mendis.
YaalKolla: "Impressed with Josh Little already, despite him not having much to defend. Should have gotten a game earlier methinks."
Length ball, nudged to the off side and they set off for a quick single. Direct hit and he's out though.
Looks to sweep this from wide of offstump, inside edge towards square leg.
This is tossed up, a little down leg. Avishka gives himself some room and tries to swing across the line here, but gets an inside edge that runs down to the fine leg boundary.
Length ball, skidding straight. Cut towards short cover.
Fuller and driven to long-off.
Length on the stumps, pushed back to the bowler.
Tharindu Ratnayake returns. With left arm spin.
Angled in again, back of a length. Knocked away on the offside.
Stays around the wicket to Avishka, and it's back of a length on off stump. Just defended.
Around the wicket now, and it's angled into Bandara. Short of a length and pulled behind square leg.
Length ball outside off. The batter hands the bat and it's prodded towards short cover.
Short of a length again, but this is down leg.
Back of a length again, this time the line is better - just angling outside off. Defended.
back of a length on leg stump, strikes the thigh pad down to fine leg.
Length on the stumps and dead bats the last ball of Tahir's spell. He's done all he can here.
YaalKolla: "@Madushka Did everyone read the pitch wrong? Did the rain have no affect on it or did DG just bat poorly?" Bit of both I think. What Dambulla needed was one or two of their batters to get their eye in. Pitch was certainly producing turn and bounce for the spinners, but it wasn't sluggish like in some previous games. The Kings though bowled to their strengths and took some good catches to go with it.
Bowled him! This one is fizzed through straight from Tahir. It's the flipper and TKC is too late to get his bat down, and the stumps are disturbed.
Length and spinning away. Keeps low too, and left alone.
Length, pushed on the offside.
Full toss from Tahir, pushed to long-on.
And that's the powerplay done.
Over 10 • JK 71/3
Jaffna won by 7 wickets (with 64 balls remaining)