Five clubs grab full points in opening weekend of matches

Evergreen Gayan Sirisoma’s 25th 10-wicket match haul gave Air Force SC a win by 230 runs over Navy SC

Ragama CC’s Nishan Madushka achieved the feat of a century in each innings against Galle CC

Army SC’s Kaumal Nanayakkara took a career best 13/121 to rout Bloomfield by 202 runs

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Colts, Army SC, Moors SC, Badureliya SC and Air Force SC scored outright wins in the opening weekend of the SLC Major League inter-club tournament matches which ended yesterday.

Colts handed out to Kandy Customs SC a massive innings and 340-run thrashing at Colts grounds. Kandy Customs SC were shot out for scores of 70 and 96 in reply to Colts’ mammoth total of 506-4 declared. Architects of Colts’ win were batsmen Avishka Perera (236) and Hashan Dumindu (130) and pacie Mohamed Shiraz (5/25) and Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya (match bag of 7 for 34).

Army SC’s 22-year-old left-arm spinner Kaumal Nanayakkara returned career best innings figures of 8/75 and a maiden ten-wicket match haul of 13/121 as Bloomfield suffered a 202-run defeat at Panagoda. Sri Lanka batsman Dinesh Chandimal’s innings of 152 gave Army SC a huge first innings lead of 161 which they converted to a big win.    

Veteran slow left-arm orthodox bowler Gayan Sirisoma who has been playing first-class cricket for nearly two decades took his 25th 10-wicket match haul (12/80) to bowl Air Force SC to a 230-run win over Navy SC at Air Force grounds, Katunayake. 40-year-old Sirisoma belied his age to take seven wickets for 41 in the first innings and follow it up with a further five wickets for 39 as Navy SC were bundled out for totals of 113 and 106. 

Negombo CC’s ‘import’ from Madhya Pradesh, Jatin Saxena’s century (103 off 198 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) failed to prevent Badureliya SC from pulling off a seven-wicket win at BOI Katunayake. Following on 221 runs behind in the first innings, Negombo CC who are without several of their regular players who in the English leagues were all out for 270 in their second innings leaving Badureliya the simple task of scoring 47 for victory.

Moors SC skippered by Sri Lanka cricketer Ramesh Mendis thrashed the daylights out of Lankan CC to win by an innings and 104 runs at Moors grounds. It was an all-round batting and bowling effort from Moors SC that brought them the victory. Lankan CC’s batting fell to the left-arm spin of Theeshan Vithushan and Chanuka Dilshan being dismissed for 196 and 200 in reply to Moors SC’s total of 500-8 declared.

Nuwanidu Fernando’s second first-class century – a career best 119 off 214 balls (14 fours, 1 six) proved insufficient for SSC to overhaul defending champions CCC’s mammoth total of 523-8 declared being dismissed for 379. 

SSC lost their last seven wickets for 45 runs to Sri Lankan players - Nuwanidu’s brother Vishwa Fernando and Malinda Pushpakumara who caused the collapse taking five wickets between them. The match ended in a draw at the SSC with CCC scoring 182-5 in the second innings.

In a high scoring drawn game at Bloomfield grounds, Saracens SC sans several of their regular players including captain Milinda Siriwardena who are away in England playing league cricket, chased down a tall score of 471 to defeat Ace Capital CC on the first innings replying with 501-9.

Saracens SC were indebted greatly to Mohammad Waqas, a 31-year-old Pakistani from Karachi who guided them to the win with a fine century (131 off 283 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes) in a partnership of 112 for the seventh wicket with former Thurstanite fast bowler Isitha Wijesundera who made his maiden first-class fifty (83 off 129 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes). Ace Capital were guilty of conceding 38 extras (15 wides, 9 no-balls) which cost them dearly.  

The batting efforts of Dilshan Kanchana (93 off 227 balls, 7 fours, 3 sixes) and Vinura Dulsara (121 off 240 balls, 13 fours, 1 six) and their partnership of 177 for the second wicket proved in vain as Galle CC fell agonizingly short by six runs to gain a first innings win over Ragama CC in the drawn match at the Galle Stadium. 

Chasing a total of 332, Galle CC were dismissed for 327 with left-arm spinner Shashika Dulshan taking five wickets. In Ragama CC’s second innings of 212-5, Nishan Madushka, the former Moratu Vidyalaya and Sri Lanka U19 wicket-keeper/batsman achieved the feat of scoring a century in each innings of the match (150 and 100* off 133 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes).

Left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi’s five wickets failed to stop Chilaw Marians CC from overtaking Panadura SC’s first innings total of 153 replying with 259 in their drawn game at the Panadura esplanade. Tamil Union grabbed first innings points from NCC in their drawn encounter at the P Sara Oval. NCC were dismissed for 180 in reply to Tamil Union’s first innings of 307. In their second innings however NCC fared better scoring 229-5 after being set a target of 344.

BRC took first innings points from Police SC in their drawn fixture at BRC grounds scoring 246 to Police SC’s 172. In Police SC’s second innings of 347-8 declared, Heshan Fernando (110 off 168 balls, 11 fours) and captain Chamara Silva, the former Sri Lanka cricketer (111 off 75 balls, 9 fours, 4 sixes) scored centuries. 

Kalutara TC overhauled Kurunegala YCC’s total of 237 replying with 268 to take first innings points at Dambulla. In Kurunegala YCC’s second innings of 271-5 skipper Gayan Maneeshan scored an undefeated century (123* off 248 balls, 14 fours, 1 six).