Priyanjan becomes leading wicket-taker with career best figures

• SLC Major Limited-Over Inter-Club tournament

CCC captain Ashan Priyanjan the leading wicket-taker with 25 wickets

India’s Gitansh Khera made the tournament’s highest score with 167 for Police SC

Captain Ashan Priyanjan improved his career best bowling figures with a haul of six for 22 against Negombo CC as CCC kept their chances of qualifying for a place in the SLC Major Limited Overs inter-club semi-finals alive from Group B with a comfortable seven-wicket win chasing down a target of 133 in 24 overs. 

Nine days ago, Priyanjan returned figures of six for 30 against Navy SC with his probing off-breaks and of late has been in prolific form with the ball to become the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 25 wickets from eight matches.

Army SC, the other contenders for a semi-final place from the same group came up with a powerful batting performance scoring 304-8 with half-centuries from Lakshan Edirisinghe (75) and Mahesh Kumara (65) supported by an aggressive 43 off 24 balls (three sixes, two fours) from skipper Thisara Perera to beat BRC by 154 runs. Army SC head Group B with 21 points followed by CCC with 20 points.

Ace Capital CC were shot out for the tournament’s lowest total – 46 by Tamil Union who went onto win by 132 runs and draw level on points with Group A leaders Moors SC. Both teams have six wins from eight matches and 18 points each. Left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne combined well with former Sri Lanka off-spinner Dilruwan Perera to take seven wickets between them.  The previous lowest score was 69 by Sebastianites against Colts. Ace Capital CC can still catch up with the leaders as they have a game in hand and lie third with 16 points.  A century (102) off 130 balls (three fours, two sixes) from Sri Lanka T20I player and captain of Ragama CC Janith Liyanage saw them beat Air Force SC by 16 runs. Ragama CC scored 246-6 and restricted Air Force to 230-8.

India’s Gitansh Khera from Punjab made the highest individual score of the tournament with a power-packed 167 off 133 balls (seven sixes, 17 fours) to help Police SC beat Lankan CC by 153 runs. Khera improved on Nishan Madushka’s 165 for Ragama CC v Nugegoda SWC scored four days ago. Police SC reached 298-7 with former Sri Lanka cricketer Chamara Silva leading the side scoring a polished 61* and sharing a stand of 145 with Khera. Lankan CC were dismissed for 145.    

Saracens SC suffered their seventh straight defeat when Bloomfield chased a target of 195 to win by two wickets with seven balls to spare. Saracen SC and Kalutara TC are the only teams without a single win in the tournament.

NCC suffered a 73-run defeat at the hands of Sebastianites, Nugegoda SWC beat Kandy Customs CC by 107 runs and Chilaw Marians CC beat Kurunegala YCC by four wickets in the other matches concluded yesterday. (ST)