Major Club Under-23 tournament SSC, Colts, Ragama CC and Tamil Union grab full points

SSC, Colts, Ragama CC and Tamil Union were the successful teams to register outright wins and take full points in the second week of the Major Club Under-23 tournament matches which ended yesterday.

SSC rattled off 406-5 declared off 60 overs going at 6.76 runs an over against Army SC with Shevon Daniel racing to 101 off 75 balls (10 fours, 5 sixes) and Ranudu Somarathne keeping pace with him by scoring 100* off 70 balls (6 fours, 4 sixes). 

Chamindu Wickramasinghe provided the final flourish to the SSC innings with a feisty 50 off 41 balls (5 sixes, 2 fours). Army SC who scored 207 in their first innings were dismissed for 187 in the second to lose by an innings and 12 runs. Akmal Fazly, Lyceum College Panadura’s 17-year-old fast bowler rattled the Army batting with five wickets.

Former Rahula College, Matara fast bowler Chamod Battage took a match bag of nine wickets to bowl Colts to an innings and 29 runs win over Chilaw Marians CC. Chilaw Marians CC shot out for 55 in the first innings and were dismissed for 149 in their second innings with Battage taking five wickets for 47 and left-arm spinner Muditha Lakshan four wickets.

An unbroken partnership of 125 for the fifth wicket between Yohan Liyanage (127* off 203 balls, 10 fours) and Ranmith Jayasena (84* off 67 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) saw Ragama CC total 326-4 declared and beat Kandy Customs SC by an innings and 31 runs. 

Kandy Customs SC dismissed for 151 in their first innings but could not make much headway in the second innings being bowled out for 144 with former Thomian captain and left-arm spinner Dellon Peiris amongst the wickets again taking 6 for 48 to end with a match bag of 12 for 110.

Left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera spun Tamil Union to a 10-wicket win over Nugegoda SWC with match figures of 14 for 139 (6/60 and 8/79). After the Tamil Union had posted 336-9 declared, Nugegoda SWC was dismissed for 181 and 183.

Moors SC could consider themselves terribly unlucky when they ran short of time to score the five runs required to beat BRC and gain full points. Moors SC recovered from losing six wickets for 193 through their seventh wicket pair Abdul Shakour (85 off 117 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) and Imithiyaz Slaza (103* off 95 balls, 6 fours, 6 sixes) who put on 155 to post an impressive score of 379-7 declared in reply to BRC’s first innings of 247. In their second innings BRC were all out for 136.

Police SC pulled off a close first innings win over Negombo CC at Katunayake scoring 235-9 in reply to Negombo CC’s 234. Sandun Mendis, off-spinner from Richmond College, Galle spun CCC to a first innings win with figures of 7 for 53 dismissing Badureliya CC for 120. Following on Badureliya held out to be 130-6 despite left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha taking five wickets to follow his knock of 77 in CCC’s total of 362-7 decl.

NCC suffered a first innings loss to Air Force SC who topped their total of 220 by scoring 286 despite former Richmondite Thaveesha Abishek taking five wickets and following it up with an unbeaten 67 in NCC’s second innings. Ace Capital CC and Sebastianites had to be satisfied with first innings wins against Galle CC and Panadura SC respectively. – (ST)