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SLC Major League 2022 champions CCC
CCC’s Pavan Ratnayake is a study of solid defence in an enduring innings of 85
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
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| CCC captain Ashan Priyanjan celebrates his first century of the season |
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| Chamindu Wijesinghe departs after scoring a career best 139 for CCC |
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| Ravindu Fernando bowled his heart out for Tamil Union to return career best figures
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The Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) proved themselves worthy winners of the 2022 Sri Lanka Cricket Major League inter-club title when they beat Tamil Union on the first innings in a high-scoring four-day final which ended in a draw at the SSC grounds yesterday.
By winning the Major League title for the third time in a row, CCC became the first club to do so since Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket was given first-class status in 1988-89. They won in 1995-96, 2006-07 and again in 2018-19 and 2019-20. There was no tournament held in 2020-21 due to the pandemic.
When Tamil Union won the toss and ran up an imposing score of 558, it seemed like a tall order for the defending champions to chase. But centuries from national cricketers Kamindu Mendis (105) and skipper Ashan Priyanjan (100) and, a career best knock of 139 from Chamindu Wijesinghe saw CCC pass Tamil Union’s total in the 148th over with only seven wickets down and go on and make the highest total of the season – 669.
In the remaining minutes of play Tamil Union scored 145-4 in their second innings.
CCC were the only team in the 26-club competition to go through the season unbeaten in the 13 matches played.
The final day’s play was tantalisingly poised with CCC 411-5 and trailing Tamil Union by 147 runs with five wickets in hand. Overnight pair Priyanjan and Wijesinghe stretched their sixth wicket partnership to 219 before Tamil Union were able to achieve a breakthrough.
Following Priyanjan’s dismissal for 100 scored off 192 balls (9 fours) – his first century of the season, Wijesinghe departed 37 runs later after scoring a refined 139 off 246 balls (13 fours, 2 sixes). At 544-7, Tamil Union would have still fancied their chances of bowling out CCC for under 558. But Malinda Pushpakumara’s cameo knock of 27 off 23 balls (3 fours, 1 six) out of a partnership of 38 with Pavan Ratnayake saw CCC overhaul Tamil Union’s total. Ratnayake making only his 18th first-class appearance, played a durable knock of 85 off 120 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) and with number 10 Lakshan Sandakan offering good support with a dogged innings of 24 off 60 balls (1 four), poured further frustration on the Tamil Union bowlers in a partnership that realised 81 for the ninth wicket.
The bulk of the bowling for Tamil Union was done by their spinners Dilum Sudeera and Ravindu Fernando who sent down 90.5 overs between them. However, it was Fernando who reaped the rewards with career best figures of 6/160, while Sudeera was left with a solitary wicket for 150 runs for his efforts.
In the Tamil Union second innings, their captain Sadeera Samarawickrama who made 188 in the first innings, followed it up with another fine knock of 43 off 37 balls (6 fours) which was enough to get him past the 1,000-run mark for the season (1022), making him the third batsman to do so after Nishan Madushka of Ragama CC (1229 runs) and Pasindu Sooriyabandara of Moors SC (1091).
CCC collected prize money of Rs. 1 million, while runner-up Tamil Union received Rs. 750,000. CCC’s Chamindu Wijesinghe took the Rs. 150,000 award as Player of the Final. Other individual awards included Player of the Tournament (Rs. 600,000) - Nishan Madushka (Ragama CC), Best Batsman of the Tournament (Rs. 500,000) - Pasindu Sooriyabandara (Moors SC) and Best Bowler of the Tournament (Rs. 500,000) - Kaumal Nanayakkara (Army SC).
Scores:
