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Tuesday, 30 May 2023 01:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Rajeewa Weerasinghe of Panadura SC hits one of his five sixes during his knock off 47 off 29 balls against Air Force SC
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Defending champions Army SC suffered their first defeat in the ongoing SLC Major Club T20 tournament when they were beaten rather comprehensively by NCC. In the other matches concluded yesterday Panadura SC, CCC, Chilaw Marians CC, Moors SC and BRC all finished on the winning side.
Panadura SC trounced Air Force SC by 75 runs after dismissing their opponents for 81 in pursuit of a target of 157 at the CCC grounds. Panadura SC’s total of 156-8 courtesy contributions of 36 off 29 balls from Sineth Jayawardane, 34* off 31 balls from Roshan Wijenayake and a power-packed 47 off 29 balls (5 sixes, 1 four) from Rajeewa Weerasinghe, proved too much for the Airmen who
succumbed to the spin of skipper Koshan Jayawickrama and Vishwa Lahiru Kumara and the left-arm seam of Asela Sampath who between them captured seven wickets. Lasanda Rukmal, skipper of the losing side took 4/33 with his medium-paced deliveries.
NCC thumped the defending champions Army SC by nine wickets in the second match played at the CCC grounds. Put into bat first Army SC could muster only 121-8 falling to the off-breaks of Kamil Mishara (2/25) and Ashian Daniel (3/17). NCC made short work of the target, racing to 126-1 in 12.4 overs. A terrific opening partnership of 65 in 3.4 overs between discarded Sri Lankan wicket-keeper/bat Niroshan Dickwella (34 off 11 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes) and Mishara set NCC on course for the marvelous win. Mishara who struck an unbeaten 56 off 43 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) was joined in another fruitful stand of 61* by Thaveesha Abishek (24* off 23 balls, 1 four, 1 six) that saw them finish on a high with Mishara making the winning hit – a six.
The left-arm seam of Test fast bowler Vishwa Fernando proved too hot to handle for Negombo CC who went down to CCC by five wickets at the NCC grounds. Fernando ran through the Negombo CC batting restricting them to 124-8 by taking 3/22 along with a former Sri Lanka cricketer Chaturanga de Silva (2/24). CCC reached the target in 19.1 overs with contributions from Nimesha Gunasinghe (40*) and captain Minod Bhanuka (41 off 24 balls, 5 fours, 1 six).
Left-hander Damitha Silva scored his maiden T20 fifty (56 off 48 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and off-spinner Chamod Sandaru picked up his first five-fer (5/22) in this format to help Chilaw Marians CC (151/7) beat Police SC 129 (19.2) by 22 runs in the second match played at this venue.
Galle CC collapsed for 40 in 13.3 overs to hand Moors SC an easy eight-wicket win at Panagoda. Galle CC’s batting was destroyed by seamers Dinuka Dilshan (4/10), Thilan Lorensu (2/7) and Lahiru Samarakoon (3/5) after being invited to bat first. Moors SC knocked the runs off in 7.4 overs losing two wickets.
Kandy Customs also found run-making difficult on the Panagoda pitch as they were kept down to a dismal score of 75-8 in 20 overs by BRC who went onto win by seven wickets replying with 76-3 in 9.2 overs. Former Kandy Madeena College seamer Mohamed Shiraz was the pick of the BRC bowlers with figures of 3/10 in four overs that included a maiden.
TODAY’S MATCHES
