SLC Major Club T20 tournament Moors SC, BRC, Tamil Union, Ace Capital CC first into Quarter-finals

Following the conclusion of matches in Groups B and C yesterday, Moors SC and BRC from Group B, and Tamil Union and Ace Capital CC from Group C have qualified for the quarter-finals of the SLC Major Club T20 tournament.

Moors SC captained by Sri Lanka Test cricketer Ramesh Mendis topped Group B with their third consecutive win beating BRC by three wickets in their final group game played at SSC grounds. The win gave Moors SC the maximum of six points from three matches. BRC although losing to Moors SC finished second with four points and also qualified for the last eight. Seamer Milan Ratnayake took 3/12 to restrict BRC to a total of 131-7. Moors SC in their reply nearly made a hash of their run chase, sliding to 102-7 in 16 overs with Sri Lanka leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha causing ripples in their batting with 4/19. Ratnayake came to the fore again this time with the bat scoring 11* off 7 balls (1 six) in an unbroken partnership of 30 with Rohan Sanjaya (29*) to see Moors SC home with seven balls to spare. Sohan de Livera top scored for Moors SC with 45 off 29 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes).

In the same group Chilaw Marians CC beat Badureliya SC by four wickets at P Sara Oval, but the result didn’t have any bearing on the final standings. Dunith Jayatunga (56 off 42 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) scored more than half the Badureliya SC total of 110-9. Chilaw Marians CC lost four wickets in the first power play for 53 runs before reaching their target with captain Lasith Lakshan guiding them home with a sedate 35* off 46 balls (3 fours).

SSC’s chances of qualifying for a semi-final place was dashed by bad weather with their final group match against Negombo CC at the P Sara Oval ending in a no-result. Only 1.3 overs was possible during which period SSC scored 12-0. Both teams shared two points.

A similar result at the SSC grounds between Tamil Union and Ace Capital CC saw the two teams sharing two points. Only one over was possible and Ace Capital CC scored seven runs. As a result, Tamil Union (net run rate 0.982), Ace Capital CC (0.725) and SSC (-0.110) ended with three points each from three games from Group C, but on net run rate Tamil Union and Ace Capital CC qualified for the quarter-finals. The other four quarter-finalists from Groups A and D will be decided after the completion of matches today and tomorrow. – (ST)

Today’s matches

At Maggona: NCC v Police SC (9.45 a.m.); Ragama CC v CCC (2 p.m.)

At NCC: Colts v Panadura SC (9.45 a.m.); Kurunegala YCC v Bloomfield (2 p.m.)