SSC dethrones champs CCC; to meet Army SC in final

SSC spinner Prabath Jayasuriya (left) is hugged by a teammate after scalping another CCC batsman

SSC openers Avishka Fernando (left) and Nipun Dananjaya during their partnership of 65 against CCC

SSC and Army SC qualified to meet in the final of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Major Twenty20 Inter-Club cricket final at SSC tomorrow (Saturday) with convincing victories over CCC and Kurunegala

Youth CC respectively in the semi-finals played at NCC yesterday.

Sri Lanka ODI and T20I opener Avishka Fernando came back roaring into form from injury to score a scintillating half-century and guide SSC to a 32-run win over defending champions CCC in the first semi-final.

Fernando, who was forced to miss the West Indies tour due to an ankle injury, struck four sixes and three fours in his knock of 65 scored off 48 balls that enabled SSC, who was invited to bat first to post a total of 159/4. Fernando and his opening partner Nipun Dananjaya (34) got SSC off to an excellent start with a stand of 88 off 68 balls that laid the foundation for the total.

It was not a total that was not within CCC’s reach as they had a fine array of stroke makers in their line-up, but yesterday they were rattled by the pace and spin combination of Himesh Ramanayake and Prabath Jayasuriya to be bowled out for 127. Ramanayake struck the first blow, getting rid of Malindu Maduranga for four off the second ball of the innings, and left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, in his opening over, sent back CCC’s two most prolific run-getters Lasith Abeyratne (1) and Minod Bhanuka (0) to have CCC reeling at 6/3. Skipper Ashan Priyanjan and Ron Chandraguptha staged a partial recovery with a partnership of 52 but following Priyanjan’s dismissal for 21, the rest of the innings lost its momentum and even a fighting half-century from Chandraguptha (55 off 45 balls) failed to get CCC over the line, falling way behind as the SSC spinners got to work on the lower half of the batting. Jayasuriya, Ratnayake and Jeffrey Vandersay took seven wickets between them.

Sri Lanka Army SC gave a convincing performance to halt the giant-killing stride of Kurunegala Youth CC, trouncing them by nine wickets with 50 balls to spare in the second semi-final.

Through their pace bowler Janith Silva (3/15), Army restricted Kurunegala YCC to a moderate score of 114/6, and then powered by half-centuries by Ashan Randika and Seekkuge Prasanna, coasted home in emphatic fashion to enter the final. Randika scored 54* off 31 balls inclusive of two sixes and seven fours, while Prasanna was the aggressor in an unbroken partnership of 86 off 34 balls, smashing four sixes and four fours in an unbeaten half-century off 21 balls.

SEMI-FINAL RESULTS

SSC 159/4 (20) (Nipun Dananjaya 34, Avishka Fernando 65, Malinda Pushpakumara 2/33) beat CCC 127 (19.3) (Ron Chandraguptha 55, Ashan Priyanjan 21, Himesh Ramanayake 2/23, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/16, Tharindu Ratnayake 2/29, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/17) by 32 runs.

Kurunegala YCC 114/6 (20) (Sameera Sandamal 29, Randeera Ranasinghe 28*, Lahiru Jayaratne 34*, Janith Silva 3/15) lost to Army SC 120/1 (11.4) (Ashan Randika 54*, Seekkuge Prasanna 50*) by nine wickets. (ST).

Ashan Randika (right) and Seekkuge Prasanna celebrate Army’s victory over Kurunegala YCC

Army SC’s fast-bowler Janith Silva (right), who took three wickets, is congratulated by teammates