Short and pulled behind square! And it's fitting that it's Bopara that get's the winning runs, who has kept his head in a must-win scenario for his team.
Galle vs Warriors, 10th Match at Colombo, LPL, Dec 11 2021 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
10th Match (D/N), Colombo (RPS), December 11, 2021, Lanka Premier League
127/7
(18.4/20 ov, T:128) 131/5
Warriors won by 5 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)
New
KW
Full commentary
And with that we're done with one of two games today. Rvel will be here in a bit to take you through the next game, between the Colombo Stars and the Dambulla Giants. Bye for now!
6.45pm Ravi Bopara is the Player of the Match: "It was a tough wicket, and the boys have been telling me that the wickets here are tough to bat on unless the ball is wet. So we had one goal today and that was to get to 128, whether that took 19.5 overs or less doesn't matter."
Galle captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa: "We were about 10-15 runs short. Hafeez was not fit enough to play, so we had to balance the side. I wouldn't call it a mistake [not to play another spinner] but it's something that went against us."
Kandy captain Angelo Perera: "We're delighted to finally cross the line after so many close games. The bowlers did a brilliant job at the start. And then I was telling the coaches that I wasn't worried as long as Ravi was at the crease. We brought him in to fill in that gap of an experience player and finish off games, and that's exactly what he did."
So the Kandy Warriors are finally on the board, and they owe a debt of gratitude to Ravi Bopara who had flown in just the other day as a replacement for Rovman Powell.
It was Bopara's 50-run partnership with Tom Moores that in the end ensured the win, but even when Moores fell with 25 still to get, you wouldn't have bet against a Warriors collapse if Bopara wasn't around. On a sluggish wicket, his 39-ball 34 was worth double that and more.
Earlier the Warriors bowlers did well to take pace off the ball whenever possible, as the Gladiators struggled to come to terms with the nature of the wicket. Samit Patel's 32-ball 36 and Kusal Mendis' 44 off 34 were the major contributions, but in the end it just wasn't enough.
18.4
4
Thushara to Bopara, FOUR runs
Scores are level...
18.3
1
Thushara to Bhanuka, 1 run
and again down leg, clipped away for a single.
18.2
•
Thushara to Bhanuka, no run
Slower ball on a length, and Minod goes for the hero swing but misses it completely.
18.1
4
Thushara to Bhanuka, FOUR runs
Oh that's poor. Down the leg side and Minod just whips this behind square. Too easy.
6 from 12. And it's Thushara here.
end of over 184 runs
KAF: 122/5CRR: 6.77 • RRR: 3.00 • Need 6 runs from 12b
Minod Bhanuka3 (4b)
Ravi Bopara30 (38b 2x4)
Dhananjaya Lakshan 3-0-20-1
Noor Ahmad 4-0-28-0
17.6
1
Lakshan to Bhanuka, 1 run
Short and pulled towards midwicket off the front foot.
17.5
1
Lakshan to Bopara, 1 run
A very slow, slower ball. Bopara works this away in front of the wicket on the leg side.
17.4
•
Lakshan to Bopara, no run
Short and it's one for the over.
17.3
1
Lakshan to Bhanuka, 1 run
Very short, that, and wide. Minod gets the toe-end on it to hit it through the vacant cover region.
17.2
1
Lakshan to Bopara, 1 run
back of a length on the stumps, worked away on the onside.
17.1
•
Lakshan to Bopara, no run
Back of a length, pushed away on the offside.
10 needed from 18. Can Galle turn this around?
Lakshan returns.
end of over 1712 runs
KAF: 118/5CRR: 6.94 • RRR: 3.33 • Need 10 runs from 18b
Ravi Bopara28 (34b 2x4)
Minod Bhanuka1 (2b)
Noor Ahmad 4-0-28-0
Samit Patel 4-0-20-2
16.6
1
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, 1 run
Spinning into leg, nudged around the corner towards fine leg.
16.5
1
Noor Ahmad to Bhanuka, 1 run
Length outside off and swept square on the leg side.
16.5
1w
Noor Ahmad to Bhanuka, 1 wide
make that 18 wides. Third of the over too.
16.4
2lb
Noor Ahmad to Bhanuka, 2 leg byes
Down the legs again, and clipped around the corner.
16.3
1
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, 1 run
Length ball spinning in, pushed away in front of the wicket on off, and the head for a quick single. Direct hit and he's gone though!
16.3
1w
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, 1 wide
Very very wide, and this time the umpire gives it. 17 runs off wides in this innings so far.
16.3
5w
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, 5 wide
Ah that's poor from Noor. Strays down leg, full to boot and the batter and the keeper both miss it. Not what Galle needed at all.
16.2
•
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, no run
Outside off again and Bopara once again misses the cut.
16.1
•
Noor Ahmad to Bopara, no run
Wide outside off, Bopara misses the cut. He looks the umpire for a wide call but none are forthcoming.
Amila: "DL par please, we are not going to get 20 overs" Think that math is a little beyond me Amila, but weather looks alright.
22 needed from 24 now.
end of over 165 runs • 1 wicket
KAF: 106/5CRR: 6.62 • RRR: 5.50 • Need 22 runs from 24b
Ravi Bopara26 (30b 2x4)
Samit Patel 4-0-20-2
Danushka Gunathilaka 1-0-10-0
15.6
W
Patel to Moores, OUT
And he's thrown his wicket away! Charges down the track, and Patel's arm ball skids past the outside edge. The keeper completes an easy stumping.
Tom Moores st †Samarawickrama b Patel 28 (21b 4x4 0x6) SR: 133.33
Win Probability
KW 100%
GGKW100%50%100%
Over 19 • KW 131/5
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