Sandun Mendis spins Saracens SC to first win

Sandun Mendis bowled Saracens SC to their first win

Krishan Sanjula scored his maiden one-day hundred for SSC

Saracens SC, the only team without a win in the SLC Major Limited-Over Inter-Club Tournament, eventually put the record straight when they secured their first win in 10 matches beating Badureliya SC by 82 runs in a Group A match on Thursday.

Opening bat and wicket-keeper Sithara Gimhan scored 86 off 93 balls (11 fours, 2 sixes) to take Saracens SC to 233. Then Sandun Mendis, the younger brother of Sri Lanka cricketer Kamindu Mendis produced a career best bowling of 5 for 34 to dismiss Badureliya SC for 146.

Group A pace-setters Ace Capital CC and Moors SC kept their chances of qualifying for a place in the final alive with wins over Kalutara TC and Bloomfield respectively. Pacie Nimasara Atharagalla (5/27) and left-arm spinner Chanaka Devinda (4/23) returned career best bowling performances to rout Kalutara TC for 69 and give Ace Capital CC an easy seven-wicket win. 

Moors SC had a fight on their hands against Bloomfield before winning by two wickets chasing a target of 180. Sri Lanka spinner Praveen Jayawickrama took two wickets for Moors SC on his return to competitive cricket after being tested Covid-19 positive.

In a low scoring match Tamil Union third in Group A and another contender to qualify for a semi-final place shot out Colts for 72 to win by five wickets with spinners Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne and Dilruwan Perera doing the damage with seven wickets between them. Tamil Union with 24 points has two games in hand while Ace Capital CC (27) and Moors SC (26) have one each.   

Fourth placed SSC with 23 points gave themselves an outside of making it to the last four when they overhauled Police SC’s total of 249-8 to win by five wickets. Krishan Sanjula scored his maiden one-day century (128* off 106 balls, 6 sixes, 10 fours) and shared a third wicket stand of 136 with Nuwanidu Fernando (65) to steer SSC home.    

In Group B, CCC tied on points with leaders Army SC on 27 points after beating Panadura SC by 25 runs (D/L method). Captain Ashan Priyanjan steered CCC to victory with an 81-ball innings of 80 (12 fours, 2 sixes). 

Chilaw Marians CC, a distant third in Group B beat Kandy Customs CC by nine wickets with openers Akash Anand from Mumbai and Kasun Vidura contributing fifties apiece in an opening stand of 112 as they chased down 118.

Veteran left-arm spinner Gayan Sirisoma starred in Air Force SC’s 61-run win over Galle CC with five wickets. India’s Akshdeep Nath from Lucknow scored his second century (137 off 127 balls, 19 fours) for Sebastianites in their 19-run win (D/L method) over Lankan CC. In the other matches BRC beat Negombo CC by 13 runs (D/L method) and Ragama CC beat Kurunegala YCC by 64 runs (D/L method). (ST)