BRC inflicts first loss in four years for defending champs CCC

Badureliya CC’s Indian overseas player Parvez Rasool shines with 100 runs and 13 wickets

Police SC Malinda Pushpakumara achieves his 75th five-fer of his career for Police SC

BRC pulled off a thrilling five-run win over defending champions CCC to record their first win of the season of the Major League tournament at the BRC grounds yesterday. 

Left with a target of 226 runs to chase CCC slumped to 70-6 before Chaturanga de Silva counter-attacked with a pugnacious knock of 90 off 56 balls (6 fours, 8 sixes) and together with Sandun Mendis (34 off 66 balls) nearly pulled it off for CCC who were eventually dismissed for 220. 

Spinners Dilruwan Perera and Duvindu Tillakaratne and pacie Mohamed Shiraz did the damage with three wickets apiece. It was CCC’s first loss in 27 matches, their last defeat coming against Chilaw Marians CC in 2019.

Bloomfield, Badureliya CC, Police SC, Ragama CC, NCC and Colts were the other teams to register wins yesterday.

Tamil Union suffered their second defeat of the season when Bloomfield beat them by eight wickets at the P. Sara Oval. Tamil Union were bowled out for 261 in their second innings with leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay taking 5/92 off 17 overs. Left with a target of 180 to chase, Bloomfield got their quite comfortably riding on Kasun Abeyratne’s unbeaten 68 off 65 balls (5 fours, 1 six) to follow his first innings century (102). Sandun Weerakkody (43 off 26 balls, 6 fours, 1 six) and Hasitha Boyagoda (51 off 64 balls, 9 fours) got them off to an explosive start posting 67 off 47 balls for the first wicket.

Badureliya CC kept pace with Group B table leaders Ace Capital CC by beating Air Force SC by 10 wickets at Katunayake. Resuming their second innings at 73-3, Air Force SC added a further 100 runs for their remaining wickets to be all out for 173, leaving Badureliya CC the formal task of scoring seven runs for victory which they quite easily achieved. Parvez Rasool, the all-rounder from India was Badureliya CC’s match winner scoring a 100 and taking a match bag of over ten wickets. In Air Force’s second innings Rasool returned figures of 8/85 and a match bag of 13/160 with his off-breaks – both career best performances.

Former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara picked up his 75th five-fer in his illustrious career to enable Police SC beat Chilaw Marians CC by nine wickets at Police Park. Trailing by 104 runs on the first innings Chilaw Marians CC batting crumbled to Pushpakumara for 189 leaving Police SC with a target of 86 to chase, which they did with Nadeera Balasuriya scoring a run-a-ball 50 (7 fours, 1 six). Pushpakumara had figures of 7/63 to go with his first innings 5/62 for a match bag of 12 wickets.

Left-arm spinner Shashika Dulshan produced his maiden match bag of ten wickets (11/130) and career best innings figures of 7/85 as Ragama CC crushed Negombo CC by seven wickets at the BOI, Katunayake. Resuming at 123-5 Negombo CC were all out for 202 in their second innings. Ragama CC needing 119 for victory got there for the loss of three wickets with Lahiru Dawatage scoring a fifty.

Discard Lasith Embuldeniya took 5/67 to bowl NCC to an eight-wicket win over Kurunegala YCC at the NCC grounds. Kurunegala YCC were dismissed for 190 in their second innings and NCC requiring 94 for victory reached their target with skipper Lahiru Udara contributing 61 off 40 balls (7 fours, 2 sixes) to go with his knock of 106 in the first innings.

Group A table leaders Colts in their 150th anniversary year were involved in a thrilling run chase against Galle at Galle eventually winning by three wickets with five balls to spare. After dismissing Galle for 195 in their second innings with spinner Akila Dananjaya taking 6/58 (match bag of 10/118), Colts set themselves a target of 243 to chase in 31 overs. Contributions from Dhananjaya Lakshan (81 off 46 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes) and Jehan Daniel (57 off 44 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes) ensured they got there. (ST)