CCC, Moors SC battle for Group A headship, Tamil Union firmly rooted at Group B top

SLC Major League limited-over tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

With a first innings win over fancied SSC last weekend, second placed Moors SC can still harbour hopes of topping the Group A table as they have a game in hand over leaders and defending champions CCC when the seventh weekend of matches in the SLC Major League inter-club tournament commence today at 12 venues.

Moors SC (72.425) trail CCC (84.235) by 12 points but having played one game less they have an outside chance to displace CCC provided they win all their remaining matches and gain as many maximum points from their opponents.

Today Moors SC confront fifth placed Colts (61.770) at Colts grounds and like in the game against SSC if they perform to their capabilities a win is there for the taking. Colts in the meanwhile have performed rather erratically this season like when they took a first innings lead against Police SC but only to lose the match outright by six wickets after setting their opponents a target of 264 to chase.

With Moors SC breathing down their neck, CCC will want to put a lot of distance between them. They failed in their attempt to grab full points against Kurunegala YCC last weekend despite enforcing the follow-on, and will look to do so on this occasion against a BRC side (59.795) that has lost their last three matches outright to Ragama CC, SSC and Lankan CC.   

A keen contest could be looked forward to between third placed SSC (65.570) and fourth placed Ragama CC (62.245) at Thurstan College grounds following their defeats at the hands of Moors SC and Kandy Customs CC last weekend. Kandy Customs CC despite their splendid win over Ragama CC last weekend remain at the bottom of Group A. Inspired by that success they will look to lift themselves from their present position when they take on Kurunegala YCC at NCC grounds.

With their fourth outright win out of six matches unbeaten Tamil Union has placed themselves in an unenviable position to top Group B which would give them direct entry into the four-day final. Tamil Union (95.235) are sitting pretty with a 30-point gap separating them from second placed Army SC (65.800) with both teams having played the same number of matches – six. Tamil Union will be up against fifth placed Chilaw Marians (61.005) who are the only unbeaten side in the group having won five of the six matches on first innings and being held to a high scoring tame draw by Bloomfield.

Army SC play Negombo CC (18.935) who are lying second from the bottom of the table at Panagoda and will look to take maximum points from this match in order to reduce the points gap that exists between them and Tamil Union. With third placed Badureliya SC (65.370) having a free weekend, there is an opportunity for fourth placed NCC (62.245) to move up the table when they meet Saracens SC (39.045) at Moors SC grounds.

Air Force SC v Ace Capital CC at Katunayake, Kalutara TC v Police SC at Dombagoda, Navy SC v Bloomfield at Welisara, Panadura SC v Nugegoda SWC at Panadura, and Sebastianites v Galle CC at P Sara Oval are the other matches commencing today.