Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Madushka Balasuriya's match report will be up shortly. That's it from ESPNcricinfo on the 2023 LPL.Take it easy.

And that's it. B-Love Kandy have won the fourth LPL, breaking the Jaffna's stranglehold on the trophy. Hasaranga a very fitting lifter of the tournament, but don't forget the likes of Angelo Mathews who played a key role in the final as well.

Wanindu Hasaranga is back as the tournament winning captain: "The foreign players played well. We started badly, but then we went to Kandy and won three out of three there and came back and did well here."

Kusal Mendis, captain of Dambulla Aura, the runners up: "We thought the wicket was good because it was a fresh pitch. Maybe in the first few overs if Avishka and I had scored more runs in that period it would have helped us. The bowlers did well. But in this match we weren't able to do well. I think this fourth season was the best so far, in terms of the LPL.

I've said earlier that the pitches need to better and I stand by that. In international cricket we need to usually hit around 180-190."

Player of the tournament is obviously Wanindu Hasaranga: "I'm very happy to have contributed with the bat. Our head coach Mushtaq Ahmed asked me to bat at the top of the order, and I also wanted to do something with the bat. Whether I'm captaining or not I try to do my best. This is very special because i contributed with the bat too."

Angelo Mathews is player of the match: "It was a bad day for Wanindu who single-handedly brought us through, so we had to play for him as well. He asked me to bowl a few overs and I happily did it. I am happy I was able to contribute in all three departments.

Dambulla had a fantastic tournament as well. It was a good toss to lose because I would have batted as well. Backing is sometimes just a word but they created an environment where we could express ourselves.

Thanks to the fans as well. We didn't play in Kandy in the final, but we had a lot of support."

***

The presentation has started. There is pretty much a whole XI of men standing side by side on the dais. Well done to them.

Rushan Kodikara: "The presentation gonna late. Who's gonna get the player of the final award?" Not started yet. Still setting up. Suspect it's Mathews, who also bowled two cheap overs in addition to seeing the chase through.

JR: "Two captains to take the trophy eh!" I'm sure Wanindu Hasaranga, who has probably been the MVP of every single LPL tournament, will lift the trophy I'm sure. It' been en epic performance from him across the season. What a guy.

Chamal Perera: "Anjelo Mathews!! What a Player. A perfect demonstration of the value of experience. Well done B-Love Kandy!!"

Chandimal: "After we lost the first two games it was tough, but credit has to go to the captain and coach. In this game we talked about playing the first six overs like a one-dayer, so credit goes to the openers."

Mathews on the sideline: "I though Asif Ali and Lahiru Madushanka were brilliant towards the end. Mushtaq Ahmed, the support staff, and the captain created an environment that was amazing. It wasn't a 147 wicket. The odd one stayed low but it was a brilliant wicket.

The last three games were kind of back-to-back for us. It was a great effort by the entire group."

19.5
4
Pramod Madushan to Madushanka, FOUR, top edge for four and B-Love Kandy have won LPL four! This is a bouncer from Madushan - a brave choice, but you have to love it. Madushanka tries to swat that to leg but gets a top edge that takes it right over the wicketkeeper for four, and Kandy finish it

Scores are tied. Kandy will take it to a Super Over at the very least.

19.4
1
Pramod Madushan to Mathews, 1 run, short ball at the body, swatted into the air towards deep square leg. The fielder is running in fast but can only field it on the bounce. They thought about a second but settled for a single
19.3
2
Pramod Madushan to Mathews, 2 runs, full on the stumps, Mathews flicks nicely through square leg and weights the shot nicely enough to sprint back for a second. A better throw from the deep would have had him stretching but it was poor
19.2
1lb
Pramod Madushan to Madushanka, 1 leg bye, leg bye and Mathews is back on strike. Madushanka missed out there, because that was a knee-high full toss that he could have crashed to the boundary anywhere on leg. But it hits the pad and they take the leg bye as the ball goes off towards square leg.
19.1
1
Pramod Madushan to Mathews, 1 run, full on the stumps, flicked over midwicket and they take the single.

Madushan to bowl the last. B-Love need six.

END OF OVER:
19 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | BLK: 142/5 (6 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.47, RRR: 6.00)

  • Angelo Mathews21 (18b)
  • Lahiru Madushanka1 (1b)
  • Binura Fernando4-0-31-2
  • Dushan Hemantha3-0-21-0
18.6
1
B Fernando to Mathews, 1 run, fullish on the stumps, whipped to backward square leg. They think about two but Mathews keeps the strike.
18.5
4
B Fernando to Mathews, FOUR, more wrists, and another four. This time through deep point. Mathews is digging deep here. Attempted yorker outside off, and Binura misses his length by a little bit, Mathews opens the face and carves this powerfully through backward point. What a shot. So much power, though he didn't have much space to work with
18.4
4
B Fernando to Mathews, FOUR, he gets a lovely flicked boundary between short fine leg and square leg. This is not the kind of shot that Mathews often plays, but he smashes it this time. This was a yorker on off stump, but the batter has shuffled outside off and middles it through that gap with excellent use of the wrists.
18.3
0
B Fernando to Mathews, no run, big dot ball. This is fullish outside off, driven straight to cover

two boundaries for Kandy ends this. Can Mathews deliver?

18.2
1
B Fernando to Madushanka, 1 run, full on the stumps, pushed to long on and they sprint through

Madushanka is the new batter.

18.1
W
B Fernando to Asif Ali, OUT, spectacular catch from KJP. One of the catches of the tournament. Oh my lord. That's a full ball outside off, off Asif Ali's outside edge, and it was FLYYYYIIIING past short third, but Kusal Perera leaps up and intercepts it at full stretch. A reflex catch at short third - which is rare. It would have been four had he not got hands to it. Could it change the game for Aura?

Asif Ali c Perera b B Fernando 19 (10b 2x4 1x6) SR: 190.00

END OF OVER:
18 | 9 Runs | BLK: 132/4 (16 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.33, RRR: 8.00)

  • Angelo Mathews12 (14b)
  • Asif Ali19 (9b)
  • Dushan Hemantha3-0-21-0
  • Hayden Kerr3-0-30-0
17.6
0
Hemantha to Mathews, no run, this is flattish again, but spun hard, turning away from off. Mathews tries to drag it to leg and misses
17.5
1
Hemantha to Asif Ali, 1 run, fullish, fast ont he stumps, driven to long off
17.4
6
Hemantha to Asif Ali, SIX, Asif Ali nails the slog sweep. This is fast outside off, Asif stretches out, reaches for it, and clubs it over wide long on. Clears the boundary by a few metres
17.3
0
Hemantha to Asif Ali, no run, fast, flat, Asif goes for a big slog sweep but gets a big inside edge into pad
17.2
2
Hemantha to Asif Ali, 2 runs, backs away, but Hemantha follows him, and the batter and he just clips it to deep midwicket
17.1
0
Hemantha to Asif Ali, no run, full on the stumps, fast through the air, driven back to the bowler

END OF OVER:
17 | 12 Runs | BLK: 123/4 (25 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.23, RRR: 8.33)

  • Angelo Mathews12 (13b)
  • Asif Ali10 (4b)
  • Hayden Kerr3-0-30-0
  • Noor Ahmad4-0-27-3
16.6
4
Kerr to Mathews, FOUR, thigh-high full toss, wide of off, and Mathews puts that away nicely. Just carves that into that gap in deep cover, and gets a sweetly-struck boundary
16.5
1
Kerr to Asif Ali, 1 run, full outside off stump, driven aerially down the track to long on. Gets it on the bounce
16.4
1
Kerr to Mathews, 1 run, full outside off, driven down to long on
16.3
1
Kerr to Asif Ali, 1 run, fullish, wide of off, slower one I think, clapped over cover again, but this time without a lot of power, just for a single

Kandy 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st49PHKD MendisMohammad Haris
2nd45LD ChandimalPHKD Mendis
3rd11AD MathewsLD Chandimal
4th2AD MathewsPC de Silva
5th25AD MathewsAsif Ali
6th19AD MathewsLD Madushanka