Opening weekend produces wins in all matches

Sahan Nanayakkara’s career best 7/24 helped Bloomfield to victory

Udayawansha Parakrama’s century helped Ace Capital CC turn the tables on Badureliya CC

The opening weekend of the new 2024/25 domestic cricket season turned out be a very productive one, for all eight matches of the SLC Major Club 3-Day Tournament produced winning results.

Following Kurunegala YCC’s two-day demolition of joint champions SSC on Saturday, Police SC, the defending joint champions, Ace Capital CC, Colts, Bloomfield, NCC, CCC, and Moors SC all won their respective matches concluded yesterday.

Former Stafford International School Colombo ambidextrous spinner Shyamsunder Krishnashriram, playing only his fifth first-class match, was Colts’ match winner, with a match bag of 7/36 that included a career best of 4/15 in the second innings. Negombo CC were dismissed for 181 and 79 in reply to Colts’ 352 in the match concluded at the BOI Ground Katunayake.

Spinners Nalin Priyadarshana (match bag of 8/93), Dilum Sudeera (7/106), and Ashen Bandara (4/17) accounted for 19 of the 20 wickets to help Police SC thrash Panadura SC by 10 wickets at Panadura. Panadura SC, who trailed Police SC by 17 runs in the first innings, collapsed for 91 in their second innings, leaving Police a target of 75 to chase, which they did successfully without losing a wicket, with Nadeera Balasooriya contributing an attractive 55* off 26 balls (4 fours, 4 sixes). 

CCC and Moors SC both won their matches by the same margin of nine wickets. Sri Lanka Test Captain Dhananjaya de Silva played the role of bowler with his off-spinners claiming 4/71 to dismiss Tamil Union for 299 in their second innings after resuming at 150-6 at the P. Sara Oval. Vishwa Fernando and Chamindu Wijesinghe chipped in with three wickets apiece. Ambidextrous spinner Tharindu Ratnayake, leading Tamil Union, stalled CCC’s advance with a defiant 86 off 80 balls (9 fours, 6 sixes) – his highest score in first-class cricket – as the last four wickets added 152. Left with 97 runs to win, CCC lost Lasith Croospulle for 2, but Nimesha Gunasinghe (56*) and Anjala Bandara (37*) took them home without any further damage.

Left-arm spinner Chanuka Dilshan, who destroyed BRC’s first innings for 200 with career best figures of 7/46 at the BRC grounds, picked up a further three for a maiden 10-fer match bag of 10/77 to rout BRC for 175 the second time around with the help of skipper Ramesh Mendis and Rohan Sanjaya, who shared six wickets. Requiring 50, Moors SC knocked the runs off, losing one wicket.

NCC came back strong after conceding a first innings lead of 38 to beat Kandy Customs CC by 5 wickets at the Colts Ground. Starting the day at 280-7 in reply to Kandy Customs CC’s first innings of 359, NCC were all out for 321 with Captain Sahan Arachchige making a top score of 69 and leg-spinner Sachithra Perera claiming four wickets. NCC’s pace-cum-spin attack then accounted for Kandy Customs CC’s 135, leaving them with a target of 174 to chase for victory. They lost five wickets in doing so. Niroshan Dickwella (44 off 27 balls) and Asel Sigera (47 off 27 balls) helped them get there in 19 overs.

Former St. Sylvester’s College, Kandy cricketer Udayawansha Parakrama scored 113 off 137 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes) and Sakuna Liyanage and Danal Hemananda contributed 67 and 45, respectively, for Ace Capital CC, forced to follow-on by Badureliya CC, to stage a remarkable comeback posting 364 in their second innings, and then rout Badureliya CC for 131 in their second innings, to pull off a creditable 83-run win at the CCC Ground. Architects of the win were spinners Wanuja Sahan (3/67), Rohan Jayatissa (4/42), and Sammu Ashan (2/11). Badureliya CC spinners Chanaka Ruwansiri and Chanaka Komasaru shared eight wickets between them in Ace Capital CC’s second innings.

Bloomfield survived a late attempt by Ragama CC to turn the tables on them to snatch a two-wicket win at Maggona. Dismissed for 204 in reply to Ragama CC’s first innings of 306, Bloomfield fought back in the second innings to rout Ragama CC’s batting in the second innings for 61 through left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkara’s career best performance of 7/24 and off spinner Ravindu Fernando’s 3/22. Needing 164 to win, Bloomfield lost their first four wickets for 59, but Ron Chandraguptha, with a sturdy 74 off 63 balls (9 fours, 1 six), along with contributions from the lower order, saw them home. – [ST]