CK vs KR

Match Tied (Colombo Kings win the match in the super over)

What a match to kick off the inaugural edition of LPL. A high scoring thriller from both the teams and this is like a defining moment, just like how Brendon McCullum set the IPL ablaze with the whirlwind knock of 158*. This certainly goes up with the best ways to kick off a league in some exceptional fashion.

So, Dinesh Chandimal and Laurie Evans opened the innings for Colombo Kings in pursuit of 220 runs. They started off in a similar fashion, blazing through the boundary ropes. They smoked the Kandy Tuskers bowlers for plenty in the powerplay and registered 65/1 after 6 overs, with the loss of Laurie Evans in the last over of the powerplay.

Dinesh Chandimal held fort at one end and kept the runs flowing in and got to scintillating 50. He was partnered by Thikshila de Silva who was well settled at the other end. A procession followed as Chandimal was dismissed in the middle overs as he and de Silva were dismissed back to back and brought Angelo Mathews and Andre Russell to the crease. 

Russell did not get many runs off the willow as he was done in by a bouncer which resulted in his dismissal and it seemed all but over. But Isuru Udana and Qais Ahmed kept the boundaries rolling and got Colombo Kings closer to the target. 3 runs were needed of the final over as Udana closed in with a brace and stretched the match into the super over from an improbable position of 52 runs needed in 18 balls.

The super over started for Colombo Kings with the fall of Udana's wicket, but Andre Russell and Angelo Mathews batted out a few boundaries in the over and gave Kandy Tuskers a target of 17 runs in the over to chase.

The Kandy Tuskers started off with a loose inventive shot from Rahmanullah Gurbaz off the bowling of Isuru Udana. Gurbaz then got the boundaries rolling. A controversial wide not called by the umpire raised a few eyebrows, but in the end, Udana became the saviour for Colombo Kings as they won the super over by a margin of 3 runs.

The Kandy Tuskers bowling looked fiery with the ball early on in the innings but looked to have lost steam towards the end. Naveen Ul Haq and Nuwan Pradeep looked in great touch together as they were the pick of the bowlers, picking up 2 wickets each. 

0.6 Isuru Udana to Kusal Perera, HEARTBREAK for TUSKERS! slower length delivery pitched wide outside off, away from the arc of the southpaw skipper who tried to throw the kitchen sink at it but only managed to slice the ball to the vacant deep cover region for a solitary run!

Colombo Kings clinch the super over and the very first match of the LPL! They have found themselves a nice little spot in the LPL history books that will be penned in the coming years! The tournament is off to a flier!

0.5 Isuru Udana to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, length delivery angled across from the batsman and sliced behind point for a single. Right then 6 required off the final delivery. Udana bowling another excellent delivery!

0.4 Isuru Udana to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, length delivery drifting down the leg side and because the batsman shuffled in his crease before the ball was deliveries, the umpire did not give it a wide! A big moment in the super over here! A wide could have made things easier for the TUSKERS!

0.3 Isuru Udana to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, SIX! GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME! overpitched delivery on the off stump, Gurbaz clears the front leg and tonks the ball over long-on for a HUGE maximum! Gurbaz is seeing that white Kookaburra like a football!

0.2 Isuru Udana to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, FOUR! POWERFUL! length ball bowled way outside off, Gurbaz sitting still in the crease sliced the ball over deep point region for a boundary! The chase is on!

0.1 Isuru Udana to Rahmanullah Gurbaz, OH MY! length ball angling away from the batsman, Gurbaz shuffled across a million miles from the stumps and failed to ramp the ball over the keeper. If he had managed to stay still, he could have flicked the ball behind square rather easily!

Nuwan Pradeep hasn't had the best super over. Gets hit for 16 runs in the over and also blows an extra ball and gives away and extra run. Gets the wicket of Isuru Udana on the first ball, but all the damage was done by Russell and Mathews. So, 17 runs it is for Kandy Tuskers and it is Isuru Udana with the ball. Can they chase it down?

0.6 Nuwan Pradeep to Andre Russell, low fulltoss on the fifth stump line and Dre Russ cannot get under the ball and he only manages to drag it across to wide long on for a brace to finish off the super over with 16 runs!

0.6 Nuwan Pradeep to Angelo Mathews, fuller length delivery bowled wide outside off the tramlines, WIDE signalled by the umpire and Kings steal a single too! Brings Russell on strike for the final ball!

0.5 Nuwan Pradeep to Angelo Mathews, FOUR! AN ALL-IMPORTANT FOUR! low fulltoss drifting down the leg, Angelo Mathews with a steady base guides the ball behind square for a boundary to reach in the double digits mark!

0.4 Nuwan Pradeep to Andre Russell, slow fulltoss on the legstump and Russell is once again deceived by the pace as the ball hits him on the toes and goes to short point, Single taken off a legbye

0.3 Nuwan Pradeep to Andre Russell, SIX! DEPOSITED! It's all happening here! Back of length delivery dug into the pitch. Russell deep in his crease was waiting for it and clobbered the ball behind square for a MAXIMUM!

0.2 Nuwan Pradeep to Isuru Udana, CAUGHT! overpitched delivery on the middle and leg stump line, was there to be hit over the top but Udana didn't get under the ball and skied it straight down the throat of long-on who took an easy catch! Only one wicket left for Kings!

0.1 Nuwan Pradeep to Andre Russell, fuller length delivery drifting down the leg which raps Dre Russ on the pads, single taken off a legbye. A sedate start for Pradeep and Tuskers!