SLC Major Club 3-day tournament Leather hunt by NCC, CCC; Tamil Union, Moors SC strongly placed to win

Saturday, 22 February 2025 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

NCC who are already qualified to play in the SLC Major Club 3-Day Tournament final went on a run spree on the opening day of their final group match against Kurunegala Youth CC at the Welagedara Stadium yesterday.

Invited to bat first, NCC finished the day strongly placed at 410-4. The highlights of their innings were the centuries from Kamil Mishara and Sahan Arachchige and their fourth wicket stand of 194. Mishara went onto make a career best score of 151 off 211 balls (16 fours, 1 six) while Arachchige, the captain of NCC remained 135* (off 181 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) stitching up another useful partnership of 97* with Kavin Bandara (61* off 52 balls, 10 fours).

Moors SC and CCC fighting for the no. 2 spot behind NCC in Group B, were both soundly placed at the end of the first day in their respective matches.

Second placed Moors SC has already taken a first innings lead bowling out bottom of the table Kandy Customs CC for 154 and replying with 209-4 by the close. National cricketers Milan Rathnayake (3/33) and Ramesh Mendis (3/33), the Moors SC skipper were the chief wicket takers of the Kandy Customs CC innings. Opener Janishka Perera completed a century (101 off 141 balls, 11 fours) and wicket-keeper Sohan de Livera contributed 77 for Moors SC.

Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Anjala Bandara’s maiden first-class hundred and his partnerships of 124 with Sri Lanka Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva (83 off 111 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) and 101 with Pawan Sandesh (career best 62 off 71 balls, 8 fours, 3 sixes) formed the major part of CCC’s massive first innings of 444-7 against BRC at the CCC grounds. Bandara was brilliant, striking 20 fours in his refined knock of 177* off 221 balls.

In the other Group B match which began yesterday, Tamil Union have placed themselves in a strong position to grab full points from Nugegoda SWC at the Army grounds, Panagoda. Nugegoda SWC were bundled out for a paltry 90 after choosing to bat first with right-arm fast-medium bowler Lahiru Samarakoon being the chief destroyer (4/30). He received good support from leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (3/23). By stumps, Tamil Union had replied with 323-6, to take a substantial first innings lead of 233 going into the second day today. Hard hitting southpaw Sandun Weerakkody thrashed the daylights out of the Nugegoda SWC bowling slamming 13 fours and 8 sixes in his score of 128 off 88 balls before retiring hurt with a hamstring injury.

All matches continue on the second day today.

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