Police SC up against star-studded SSC

• SLC Major 3-day league final from today

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The battle lines have been drawn for the plum of domestic club cricket when Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) confronts Police Sports Club in the 4-day final of the SLC Major 3-day league at the NCC grounds commencing today.

For SSC who has won the title on numerous occasions it is yet another final to be done and dusted with, but for Police SC it is the first time in their history they have come thus far and are within touching distance of winning their first ever title in domestic cricket.

Police SC’s success has been largely attributed to the balance they have in the team where Ashen Bandara (4 centuries), Priyamal Perera (1) and Heshan Danushka (2) have all made centuries during the season, and spinners Malinda Pushpakumara (joint leading wicket-taker with 72 wickets) and Nalin Priyadarshana (40) have been the driving force.

“We have a balanced side that is why we have been successful,” said Police SC coach Chamara Silva, the former Sri Lanka cricketer. “We have won most of our matches through spin. Malinda Pushpakumara has made a big contribution to our success. From the batting point, contributions have come from Bandara (664 runs), Danushka (445) and Priyamal (456).”

“We are looking at the final as just another match. The team is confident. They have not done anything extraordinary. According to the way they have performed I expect them to do well. As far as I am aware this is the first time in their 150-year history that a Police SC team has come to a final. The players are not putting any pressure on themselves that they should win. We only want to do the good things that we have been doing right along the season. We have been successful not by names but by individual performances.”

Despite the inclement weather the country has been experiencing in the past few weeks, Silva who has coached Panadura SC and Bloomfield before does not think the toss would play an important role. 

“I don’t think it will be important because we are playing at the NCC where the wickets are good and because it’s a four-day match. We are well equipped with fast bowlers and spinners and depending on the wicket we will pick the side accordingly. We are also an equally good side as the SSC. The team that plays well over the four days will get the result in their favour.”

At the age of 43, Silva is still actively playing cricket having appeared for Police SC this season in five matches a few of them as acting captain. The captaincy has changed hands several times during the season from Kusal Perera to Chamara Silva to Ashen Bandara who has been given the responsibility of leading Police SC in the final. Kusal Perera who is currently in Abu Dhabi for the T10 is expected to be available for the final.

SSC is expected to be at full strength by the return of their national players Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Avishka Fernando and Charith Asalanka from the Abu Dhabi T10, and also Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne, fast bowler Kasun Rajitha and spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Add to this lot, young talent like the captain Nipun Dananjaya, Shevon Daniel (SSC’s leading run scorer with 637 runs and 3 centuries), off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe (SSC’s leading wicket-taker with 34 wickets), Nuwanidu Fernando, Nisala Tharaka, Kalana Perera and Kavindu Nadeeshan, then you would see what a formidable line-up Police SC are up against.

SSC coach Saman Jayantha, the former Sri Lanka cricketer is confident his team can pull it off, but added, “Yes, we have the edge over Police SC. Definitely we can do it. But you cannot predict the result until the last day.”

Jayantha said as Police SC’s strength is their spinners, SSC would like to bat first if they win the toss to avoid batting on the fourth and last day. 

“The Police SC team have come up really well. Their spinners and batters have dominated for them.”

This is Jayantha’s second year with SSC (he coached Army SC for four years before coming to SSC) and would like them to win the title which they have not won since 2016-17. Since Sri Lanka’s domestic tournament became first-class in 1988-89, SSC has won the most times – 8 and twice shared it twice in 1988-89 and 1994-95.