Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Tuesday, 18 August 2020 00:29 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Saracens SC skipper and Sri Lanka cricketer Milinda Siriwardana led a bold run chase only to fall short by 28 runs with four wickets in hand to beat defending champs CCC.
Having already picked up the vital first innings points less fancied Saracens did not look like chasing down the target of 311 for victory when they lost their first three wickets for 59 runs. But Siriwardana who scored 89 in the first innings had other ideas and took the CCC bowling by the scruff of its neck to slam 10 fours and 3 sixes in scoring a masterly 151 off 180 balls to lead the charge.
With Promod Maduwantha (54), Siriwardana set the tone for the run chase by indulging in a 165-run stand for the fourth wicket. CCC declared their second innings soon after Lasitha Abeyratne had completed his century.
Twin centuries (115 and 110 n.o.) by Sri Lanka one-day cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa failed to bring BRC victory over NCC and they had to be satisfied with only first innings points.
NCC chasing 282 for a win were down to their last pair 227-9 when the match ended. BRC’s slow left-arm spinner Duvindu Tillakaratne bowled his heart out to take seven wickets for 55 and a career best match bag of 113 for 118 improving upon his previous best of 11/159. Lahiru Udara who made 90 in the first innings was NCC’s top scorer with 93 off 64 balls inclusive of 8 fours and 4 sixes.
Skipper Rajapaksa ensured that BRC set NCC a challenge target to chase when he completed his second century of the match – 110 not out off 98 balls with eight sixes and five fours that saw his team recover from 70-7 to 240 all out.
Ragama CC bounced back superbly after their innings defeat at the hands of CCC last weekend to beat Colts by 103 runs. Colts left with a target of 316 runs to chase succumbed to 212 all out despite an opening stand of 78 between Sri Lanka batters Sadeera Samarawickrama (78) and Asitha Fernando (44).
Sri Lanka Army’s opener Ashan Randika scored his second first-class hundred – a belligerent knock of 133 off 84 balls inclusive of 10 sixes and 9 fours, but his team fells short by 45 runs as they were dismissed for 249, chasing 295. From a strong position of 217-3 the Army lost their last seven wickets for 32 runs to the bowling of spinners Sri Lanka’s Shehan Jayasuriya and Nimesh Vimukthi who shared eight wickets between them.
In the Plate championship Sri Lanka Test cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva played a lone hand for Tamil Union who were dismissed for 178 in reply to Moors SC first innings of 206. De Silva who returned career best figures of 7/59 on the first day followed it up with a delightful knock of 95 not out off 104 balls inclusive of 6 fours and 4 sixes as the rest of the Tamils batting fell to the slow left-arm spin of Praveen Jayawickrama who picked up his first five-for (5/53) in his first-class career off spinner Ramesh Mendis who took three wickets.
Lankan CC captain Chanaka Ruwansiri hit a swashbuckling 151 not out off 84 balls with the aid of 15 fours and 7 sixes as he brought his team within 24 runs of taking first innings points against SSC. In reply to SSC’s total of 332, Lankan finished the second day on 308-5 their total largely being boosted by a 209-run fourth wicket stand between Ruwansiri and Geeth Kumara (60).
Table leaders Negombo CC consolidated their position by taking a first innings lead over Badureliya CC.
Super Eight results
At SSC: Match drawn (Saracens SC take first innings points)
At CCC: Ragama CC beat Colts by 103 runs
At Katunayake: Match drawn (BRC take first innings points)
At P Sara Oval: Chilaw Marians beat Sri Lanka Army by 45 runs
Plate day two scores
At Moratuwa: Moors SC 206 and 17-2 (5.2) at close
At Colts: SSC 332
At NCC: Badureliya CC 267
