CCC blemish Army SC’s unbeaten record to top Group B

CCC blemished Army SC’s unbeaten record in the SLC Major Limited-Over Inter-Club Tournament when they registered a comprehensive 192-run win at the CCC grounds yesterday. The win saw CCC displace Army SC at the top of Group B on a better net run rate with both teams on 12 points each.

CCC’s win was once again fashioned by their captain Ashan Priyanjan who for the second successive match took five wickets in an innings. His figures of 5 for 27 of off-spin shut out Army SC’s challenge for 109 with left-armer Malinda Pushpakumara also chipping in with three wickets. CCC winning the toss and batting first rattled off 301-8 with all round contributions from their top eight batters.

SSC maintained their grip on top of Group A by thrashing Kalutara TC by a massive 229 runs, the largest victory of the tournament. A brilliant unbeaten hundred from Shammu Ashan (112* off 106 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) and an explosive 83* off 55 balls (3 sixes, 9 fours) on his one-day debut from former Sri Lanka U19 World Cup cricketer Chamindu Wickramasinghe who put on an unbroken stand of 166 off 124 balls with Ashan saw SSC race to the highest total of the tournament – 331-4, and then dismiss Kalutara TC for 102 with left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya returning career best figures of 7 for 17, by far the best bowling performance of the tournament.

Defending champions Tamil Union recovered from their loss to SSC to beat Lankan CC by 124 runs and retain second spot. Dilruwan Perera, the former Sri Lanka cricketer scored his maiden one-day hundred with 114 off 95 balls (12 fours, 3 sixes) in Tamil Union’s total of 312-4. Lankan CC were restricted to 188-9. Moors SC kept the pressure on Tamil Union with a six-wicket win over Sebastianites that drew them level on points (12) with only net run rate separating them. Shehan Fernando’s career best knock of 94 off 95 balls (6 sixes, 7 fours) enabled Ace Capital CC to beat Saracens SC by 62 runs.

India’s Parth Palawat led Panadura SC’s run chase for 128 with an undefeated 71 off 103 balls (4 sixes, 4 fours) in their four-wicket win over Galle CC.

A skipper’s knock of 68* off 134 balls from Madawa Warnapura, son of late Sri Lanka Test captain Bandula Warnapura enabled Bloomfield chase down 185 and beat Badureliya SC by five wickets.

Tillakaratne Sampath, younger brother of famed former Sri Lanka cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan played a captain’s innings (120 off 106 balls, 6 sixes, 12 fours) to guide BRC to a three-wicket win over Chilaw Marians CC. Sampath and Dilan Jayalath (54) shared an opening partnership of 182 in reaching a target of 236.

Last year’s finalist Ragama CC not having the best of tournament’s secured their second win beating Negombo CC by two runs in a low scoring game at Katunayake where the total runs scored by both teams was 154 off 45.3 overs. Left-arm spinners Danushka Sandaruwan (5/19) for Negombo CC and Dellon Peiris (6/20) for Ragama CC returned career best figures. Ragama CC made 78 and Negombo CC 76.

In the other matches NCC beat Police SC by 43 runs, and Air Force SC beat Nugegoda SWC by five wickets. (ST)