SSC, Police SC qualify to meet in SLC Major league 4-day final

• Galle CC, Army SC, Air Force SC and Sebastianites face relegation

 By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Former Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya bowled Colts to victory over Ragama CC with career best figures of 9/56

Heshan Danushka guided Police SC to a first innings win with a refined century

Thurstanite Tharindu Harshana scored his maiden first-class hundred for Tamil Union

Front runners for the SLC Major 3-day league final, SSC and Police SC fulfilled their goals of gaining first innings points in their final matches to assure themselves of playing in the 4-day final at the NCC grounds from 7-10 December.

By virtue of their first innings win against BRC at SSC grounds, SSC topped Group A, snuffing out the challenge of Colts who picked up full points by beating Ragama CC by seven wickets at Maggona, but found themselves still 9.255 points adrift of SSC’s points total of 109.145.

In a similar scenario, Police SC smothered the challenge posed by NCC (107.235 points) and Ace Capital CC (104.28 points) to top Group B with 114.245 points.

At the other end of the stick, Galle CC and Army SC who finished at the bottom of Group A, and Air Force SC and Sebastianites at the bottom of Group B face relegation to Tier B next year. 

Nipun Dananjaya played a captain’s innings of 66 off 117 balls (7 fours) for SSC to gain a slender 26-run first innings lead over BRC in their drawn game at SSC grounds. BRC in their second innings scored 285-7 with Leo Fransisco compiling a tedious century (104* off 240 balls, 12 fours), Lakshan Gamage a run-a-ball 75 (6 fours, 3 sixes) and Janith Silva a delightful 41 off 34 balls (4 fours, 1 six).

Police SC’s match winner was former Isipathana College southpaw Heshan Danushka whose refined knock of 119 off 222 balls (8 fours, 4 sixes) enabled his team recover from a shaky 50-3 to total 322-8 decl. in reply to Kurunegala YCC’s 171 at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Hambantota. A feature of the innings was the 126-run stand for the sixth wicket between Danushka and former Sri Lanka cricketer Chamara Silva (64 off 78 balls, 6 fours) who is also their coach.  

Ragama CC trailing Colts by 103 runs in the first innings managed just 140 in their second, falling prey to former Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya for the second time in the match. Dananjaya spun a web around the hapless Ragama CC batsmen to return career best figures of 9/56 off 18 overs for match figures of 15/156. Colts left with the formality of scoring 40 for victory knocked the runs off losing the three wickets to win by seven wickets.

NCC’s attempt to gain full points from Bloomfield after making them follow-on was foiled by Yohan de Silva (92 off 194 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) and Hasitha Wanninayake (64 off 125 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) who figured in a second wicket stand of 136 and fifties from Nimeth Premaratne (57) and skipper Nipun Karunanayake (51) for Bloomfield who trailed NCC on the first innings by 154 runs finish strongly on 312-4 in their second essay.

Army SC failed by 14 runs to prevent Negombo CC from gaining first innings points at FTZ grounds, Katunayake and thereby lost their chance of avoiding relegation to Tier B. Replying to Army SC’s first innings of 238, Negombo CC replied with 252 with skipper Himasha Liyanage contributing a spirited 83 off 166 balls (2 fours, 1 six).

Galle CC (353-8d) despite grabbing first innings points from Nugegoda SWC (284) at the Galle Stadium failed to avoid relegation when they finished a mere 0.85 points behind Panadura SC who figured in a tame draw in their rain affected match against CCC at Pallekele where only one side CCC batted and scored 392-7 with Kamindu Mendis completing a century (103 off 207 balls, 11 fours, 1 six) and Sonal Dinusha 52*.

Sebastianites’ 83-run loss to Moors SC at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa saw them finish at the bottom of Group B and along with Air Force SC who finished one run above them will be relegated to Tier B. Sebastianites who gained a narrow first innings lead of 16 runs were left with 212 to chase and grab full points. But they collapsed for 128 to the spin of Ramesh Mendis and Theesan Vithusan who between them took seven wickets. 

Tamil Union drew their high scoring match against Badureliya SC at the P Sara Oval reaching 415-9 decl. in reply to Badureliya SC’s 327. Tharindu Harshana of Thurstan College playing in only his second first-class match scored 111 off 202 balls (12 fours) and Ravindu Fernando a career best 134 off 157 balls (8 fours, 7 sixes).