Praveen Jayawickrama spins Moors SC to top of Plate standings

Moors SC left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama took a career best match bag of 11 wickets against Tamil Union at Moratuwa

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Moors SC went to the top of the Premier Plate second round standings when they defeated Tamil Union by 44 runs, while their closest rivals Negombo CC had to be content with only first innings points as Badureliya CC held out for a draw.

Former St Sebastian’s College Moratuwa slow left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama spun Moors SC to victory,

A captain’s knock of 165 from Chanaka Ruwansiri enabled Lankan CC to get the better of exchanges against SSC at Colts grounds

returning career best innings (6/91) and match figures (11/144) playing in his ninth first-class match.

Chasing 200 for victory, the Tamil Union batting collapsed in a heap to be all out for 155 with Jayawickrama doing the main damage, supported by the off-breaks of Ramesh Mendis.

Moors SC was dismissed for 171 in their second innings, with Sri Lanka cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva continuing his fine form with the ball by taking a further five wickets for 50 runs to end with his first ten-wicket match haul - 12 for 109.

Veteran slow left-arm spinner Upul Indrasiri took a match bag of 10 for 150 but failed to bring Negombo CC a win over Badureliya CC. Indrasiri and off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe shared all ten Badureliya second innings wickets as they were dismissed for 276 in their second innings.   

Badureliya were saved from an outright defeat by a daring century from Dushan Hemantha, who scored 115 off 112 balls (12 fours, 3 sixes) to lift them from a perilous 138-6 (overall lead of only 24) to their final total.

Lankan CC skipper Chanaka Ruwansiri hit a career best 165 off 201 balls (17 fours, 7 sixes) to enable Lankan CC take first innings points from SSC in their 

drawn encounter.

Plate results

At Moratuwa: Moors SC beat Tamil Union by 44 runs.

Moors SC 206 and 171 (46.1) (o/n 17-2) (Pabasara Waduge 44, Ayana Siriwardhana 42, Kavishka Anjula 43, Sadish Pathiranage 2/54, Dhananjaya de Silva 5/50, Maduka Liyanapathiranage 2/30)

Tamil Union 178 and 155 (36.3) (Tharanga Paranavitana 30, Dakshitha Fernando 20, Suranga Lakmal 40, Praveen Jayawickrama 6/91, Ramesh Mendis 2/18)

At Colts: Match drawn; Lankan CC take first innings points

SSC 332 and 226-4 (48) (Sandun Weerakkody 67, Nuwanidu Fernando 45, Charith Asalanka 34, Kavindu Kulasekara 33 n.o., Dasun Shanaka 23, Geeth Kumara 3/49)

Lankan CC 375 (119.4) (o/n 308-5) (Primosh Perera 34, Geeth Kumara 60, Chanaka Ruwansiri 165, Keshan Wijeratne 21, Kasun Abeyratne 22 n.o.,  Kalana Perera 3/54, Jeffrey Vandersay 5/117)

At NCC: Match drawn: Negombo CC take first innings points

Badureliya CC 267 and 276 (69.1) (Dunith Jayatunga 48, Tillakaratne Sampath 20, Dushan Hemantha 115, Lakshitha Manasinghe 5/97, Upul Indrasiri 5/85)

Negombo CC 381 (105.2) (o/n 328-7) (Ashen Silva 30, Dilshan Munaweera 91, Angelo Jayasinghe 66, Madawa Warnapura 87, Roscoe Thattil 33,  Upul Indrasiri 38, Buddhika Sanjeewa 2/90, Dushan Hemantha 4/82, Asanka Silva 2/43)