CCC takes a step towards retaining Premier Tier A league title

 The victorious CCC team led by Kusal Mendis (left) head for the pavilion after defeating Ragama CC by an innings in the opening match of the Premier Super Eight at Katunayake on Wednesday.

• Second weekend of matches commences today

Defending champs CCC further consolidated their position at the top of the Super Eight standings opening up a near 18-point gap ahead of their nearest rival NCC, as they look certain of retaining the title they won last season.

CCC were the only club to register an outright win in the first weekend of cricket following the five-month lockdown due to COVID-19 while NCC, third placed Colts and fourth placed Chilaw Marians all had to be satisfied with first innings points wins.

Marians were unlucky not to pull off an outright win over wooden-spoonists BRC who batted out 80 overs to draw the match with only two wickets in hand. Marians were left to ponder whether the nine overs they batted in the morning session on the third and final day, when they already had an overall lead of 467, was the right decision.

The second weekend of matches commences today with another card of four games, and the top two clubs in the running for the title - CCC and NCC - will fancy their chances of strengthening their positions further as they take on two sides languishing from the bottom of the table.

CCC meets Saracens SC at the SSC grounds, while NCC travels to Katunayake to play BRC. Both CCC and NCC are capable of gaining maximum points from their fixtures as they have the bowling line-up to do the job for them.  

Chilaw Marians and Colts will also want to make amends after taking only first innings points last weekend by securing outright wins when they front up with Army SC and Ragama CC at P Sara Oval and CCC grounds respectively.

Negombo CC went to the top of the Plate competition with the only outright win in this section last weekend. In a low scoring close game Negombo held their nerve to pull off a five-wicket win chasing a target of 144.

The Plate is heading for a tight finish with only one point separating the top three teams Negombo CC, Tamil Union and Moors SC.

Negombo have a good chance at further securing their position at the top when they come up against bottom of the table Badureliya CC at the NCC grounds. The most interesting tussle for the weekend will be between second placed Tamil Union and third placed Moors SC at Moratuwa Stadium. The other match will be between SSC and Lankan CC at the Colts grounds. All Plate matches commence tomorrow (Sunday). (ST)