NCC Captain Angelo Perera

Navy SC Captain Thushara Samarakoon

Badureliya CC Captain Alankara Silva

Moors SC Captain Mahela Udawatte

Ragama CC Captain Ishan Jayaratne

Tamil Union Captain Sadeera Samarawickrama

SSC Captain Charith Asalanka

Army SC Captain Thisara Perera

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

NCC as the losing finalist of last year will start as favourites when they take on Navy SC in a quarter-final match of the SLC Major Limited-Over inter-club cricket tournament at the Colts grounds today.

The other three quarter-final games down for decision today are: Badureliya CC v Moors SC at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa, Ragama CC v Tamil Union at MCG, Katunayake, and SSC v Army SC at P Sara Oval.

NCC, led by Sri Lanka one-day cap Angelo Perera, came through the group stages with a 100% record winning all five matches and on form can be rated as a favourite to win the title which eluded them last year when they lost the final to Chilaw Marians CC by 91 runs.

NCC has in their line-up five players who played in that final namely Perera, Chaturanga de Silva, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne and Chamika Gunasekara, all of whom will be keen to ensure that at least the trophy will end up on the shelves at Maitland Place. De Silva has been their star performer with both bat and ball, being their leading run scorer with 299 runs (avg. 99.66) and the main wicket-taker with 10 wickets (avg 17). Angelo Perera (211 runs), Kamil Mishara (171) and Chamika Karunaratne (151) are the other key contributors with the bat. In the bowling, NCC are well served by Ashan Daniel (eight wickets), Lahiru Kumara, Angelo Perera, Chamika Karunaratne and Yugeesha Deeshan (each with six wickets).

Navy SC has been largely reliant on the all-round skills of Buddika Madushan who bats left-hand and bowls right-arm medium-pace. Madushan has been the key to Navy’s success in the tournament with 161 runs and 13 wickets. Apart from him there is Chanaka Ruwansiri with 152 runs and eight wickets and 20-year-old off-spinner from Rahula, Matara, Chamod Battage, also with 8 wickets. Navy will have to think and play out of the box if they are to emerge winners.

Badureliya CC and Moors SC match up well with each team having won five out of their six group matches. Badureliya CC have some outstanding performers in their side starting with their leading run scorer Sandun Weerakkody, who has accumulated 319 runs at a strike rate of 116, assisted by another former Sri Lanka player Milinda Siriwardene (198 runs), Dilshan de Soysa (155) and Tillakaratne Sampath (151). They have quite a variety in their bowling as well with skipper Alankara Silva and Buddika Sanjeewa leading the way with 13 wickets apiece supported by Ruchira Koshitha (10).

Moors SC skipper Mahela Udawatte has led the team from the front with 351 runs, inclusive of a century and three fifties, making him the leading run scorer in the competition. He is aided by Pabasara Waduge (223 runs) and wicketkeeper/batsman Mohammed Shamaaz (197). Their bowling rests heavily on the shoulders of left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama (15 wickets) and left-arm quick Dilesh Gunaratne (13).

On the strength of their performance in the group matches, Ragama CC are favoured heavily to win against Tamil Union but in a knockout stage anything can happen. Like NCC, Ragama CC also won all five matches to top their group. They have two centurions in the side – Janith Liyanage (323 runs) and skipper Ishan Jayaratne (122) – with opening bat and wicketkeeper Nishan Madushka also bolstering the top order with 250 runs. Sri Lanka left-arm pacer Binura Fernando has been the key to Ragama’s success, scalping 14 at a cost of 8.71, and forming a fine opening combination with Jayaratne (eight wickets).

Tamil Union’s performances have been inconsistent with Sri Lanka top order bat Sadeera Samarawickrama being the only stand-out batter with 231 runs and a high score of 92 not out. Their bowling is also not so much to speak of with fast bowler Shiran Fernando (eight wickets) and leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage (six wickets) being their leading wicket takers.

SSC and Army SC are two sides with strong batting line-ups and a keenly fought contest is on the cards. In Captain Charith Asalanka and Sammu Ashan, SSC have two inform batsmen who have notched up two hundreds apiece. Asalanka made the highest score in the tournament – 178 not out against Police SC – and his aggregate of 348 runs makes him the second highest run scorer. Ashan has 289 runs, while Sri Lanka one-day opener Avishka Fernando has 251 runs, also with a century, and Nuwanidu Fernando has 157 runs. New ball bowlers Himesh Ramanayake and Kalana Perera are capable of making early inroads into the opposition’s batting, each having captured nine wickets and then there is the probing left-arm spin of Prabath Jayasuriya whose 13 wickets have come at a cost of 18.07.

Semi-finalists last year Army SC will want to go one step further, and they have the acumen to do it in their captain Thisara Perera, who is one of the hardest strikers of the ball as he displayed by smiting six sixes in an over against Bloomfield. He has scored 245 runs at a strike rate of 125 and has the support of Himasha Liyanage who has a hundred in his aggregate of 336, which is the third highest in the competition, and Ashan Randika – 250, inclusive of one hundred. The Army’s strong point is their spin bowling department that has variety in Sri Lanka cap Seekkuge Prasanna (nine wickets), Dushan Vimukthi (14), Maheesh Theekshana (10) and Suminda Lakshan (9).

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