SSC-Colts tie, NCC lose by two runs

SSC and Colts figured in a tie in an SLC Major Limited Overs inter-club tournament match played at SSC grounds yesterday, while Badureliya SC pulled off a thrilling two-run win over NCC at the NCC grounds.

In a high scoring match, SSC rattled off 256-8 riding on opener Krishan Sanjula’s innings of 92 off 130 balls (10 fours) and Sammu Ashan’s 64-ball half-century. Vinuja Ranpul, Sri Lanka’s U19 World Cup fast bowler took four wickets. Colts boosted by fifties from Sangeeth Cooray (66 off 75 balls) and Dhananjaya Lakshan (68 off 51 balls) took up the challenge but lost wickets consistently along the way so that they were down to their last pair when the final over was bowled with nine required for victory. 

Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya gave Colts some hope when he smacked the first ball bowled by Lakshitha Manasinghe for six, but Colts managed only one run off the next four balls which left them requiring two off the final delivery. In trying to steal a second run Dananjaya was run out leaving the scores tied at 256.

In an almost similar finish, NCC requiring six off the final over with two wickets in hand failed to chase down a target of 214 being all out for 211 where a run out of the penultimate ball sealed the game for Badureliya SC. Pakistani Zahid Mansoor from Rawalpindi was Badureliya’s match winner making a top score of 54 and then bowling the crucial final over picking up a wicket whilst conceding only three runs.  

In the other matches concluded yesterday, left-arm spinner Duvindu Tillakaratne spun BRC to a 53-run win over last year’s finalist Ragama CC capturing five wickets for 26, while defending champs Tamil Union registered their second win with a four-wicket win over Sebastianites with Navod Paranavithana returning career best figures of 4/17. 

Milan Ratnayake, the six feet tall fast bowler from Kurunegala, took a one-day career best 4/31 to help Moors SC beat Kalutara TC by seven wickets. Ace Capital CC powered by an 88-ball unbeaten century (10 fours, three sixes) from Lasith Croospulle and a career best four wicket haul from pacie Nimasara Atharagalla beat Police SC by eight wickets. Bloomfield coasted to an easy seven-wicket win over Lankan CC with wicket-keeper/bat Prashan Wickramasinghe scoring his maiden one-day hundred (103 off 104 balls, 15 fours, 2 sixes) in chasing down 161.

Chilaw Marians CC made light of Galle CC’s score of 217 to win by eight wickets largely due to an unbroken stand of 174 by Kasun Vidura (71*) and Indian Gaurav Jathar (98*) of Mumbai, Kandy Customs CC won a low scoring game against Negombo CC by three wickets with former Mahinda College, Galle seamer Pasan Pethangoda producing his best one-day figures of four for 22, in a battle of the services teams Army SC beat Navy SC by six wickets Kurunegala YCC beat Panadura SC by 13 runs, and a splendid maiden one-day century from Movin Subasingha (103 off 65 balls, six sixes, seven fours) failed to stop CCC from beating Air Force SC by seven wickets. – (ST)