Tamil Union, BRC, Lankan CC make hay while the sun shines

Navy SC wicket-keeper/batsman Gajitha Kotuwegoda celebrates his half century against BRC in a SLC Major Club Youth Under-23 match played at Havelock Park yesterday

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

With the group leaders having a free weekend it was left to the other clubs to try and catch up with them in the SLC Major Club Youth Under-23 cricket tournament and those who took maximum advantage of it were Tamil Union, BRC and Lankan CC who won their respective matches with bonus points.

Tamil Union’s five-wicket win over Bloomfield saw them draw level on 19 points with Group D table leaders SSC, who have a game in hand. Leg-spinners Sachindu Colombage, formerly of Maris Stella, Negombo and NCC and Nalanda College’s 17-year-old Raveen de Silva took seven wickets between them for Tamil Union. 

Bloomfield got off to a sound start when openers Rashan Dissanayake and Nadun Hettiarachchi put on a stand of 54, but the introduction of spin saw them fold up tamely for 121. Tamil Union also made heavy weather of the moderate target losing their first five wickets for 77 wickets before finally achieving victory.  

BRC moved to second place behind Army in Group A with a three-wicket win against Navy SC displacing Badureliya CC who lost to Sebastianites by 120 runs. In a match reduced to 46 overs a side, Navy was dismissed for 172 and BRC went through a few anxious moments losing half the side for 118 before eventually pulling through to win.  

In the other match concluded yesterday Nugegoda S&WC beat Police SC by 54 runs.

In the only game played on Saturday Lankan CC beat Ragama CC by 103 runs and in the process collected a bonus point as well to draw level on points (10) with Group B leaders Chilaw Marians CC. Both teams have played three matches each. 

Lankan CC’s win was fashioned out by former St Anthony’s College Wattala and Thurstan College right-hander Sawan Kankanamge who scored a century off 135 balls inclusive of six sixes and six fours that enabled his team to put up a challenging score of 272 to which Ragama CC could reply with only 169-9.   

Results

At Police Park: Nugegoda S&WC beat Police SC by 54 runs

• Nugegoda S&WC 217-9 (43) (Amitha Dabare 52, Pasindu Adithya 22, Sakuna Liyanage 37, Nipun Lakshan 26, Rahul Gunasekara 22, Tashik Perera 2/26, Mohammed Faheem 3/37)  
• Police SC 163 (38) (Asel Sigera 28, Resandu Thilakaratna 30, Ruvinda Dilshan 24, Charuka Jayathilake 24, Nipun Lakshan 4/57, Vimukthi Kulatunga 2/29, Muditha Lakshan 3/24)  

At BRC: BRC beat Navy SC by three wickets

• Navy SC 172 (45.2) (Samitha Ranga 20, Gajitha Kotuwegoda 50, Ravindu Madushanka 44, Malinda Abishek 2/32, Dasun Senaviratne 2/22)
• BRC 173-7 (35) (Nisal Francisco 41, Hirantha Jayasinghe 23, Lahiru Attanayake 36 n.o., Samitha Ranga 2/38, Ravindu Madushanka 2/31)

At Galle: Galle CC beat Kurunegala YCC by 32 runs

• Galle CC 260-9 (50) (Pawan Sandesh 72, Kalpa Chetiya 62, Vinura Dulsara 43, Kavindu Ediriweera 22, Ruvin Peiris 2/25, Asitha Wanninayake 2/43, Sakindu Wijeratne 2/51)
• Kurunegala YCC 228 (47.4) (Keshan Wanniarachchi 38, Dilshan Kollure 53, Asitha Waninayake 29, Tharinda Wijesinghe 42, Ravishka Wijesiri 3/45, Vinura Dulsara 2/27)

At Maggona: Sebastianites beat Badureliya CC by 120 runs

• Sebastianites 222-9 (50) (Sachin Fernando 41, Rayan Fernando 21, Tharusha Samarawickrama 79, Tharusha Fernando 23, Avindu Theekshana 2/32, Ruchira Koshitha 3/29)
• Badureliya CC 102 (32.4) (Mithira Thenura 50, Nadith Mishendra 2/19, Praveen Cooray 2/25, Tharusha Fernando 3/26)

At P. Sara Oval: Tamil Union beat Bloomfield by five wickets

• Bloomfield 121 (47.1) (Rashan Dissanayaka 28, Nadun Hettiarachchi 20, Ravindu Fernando 2/20, Sachindu Colombage 4/21, Raveen de Silva 3/15)
• Tamil Union 123-5 (23.4) (Navod Paranavithana 29, Raveen de Silva 26 n.o., Ravindu Fernando 29 n.o., Aravinth Rajandran 2/21)

Saturday’s result

At Maggona: Lankan CC beat Ragama CC by 103 runs

• Lankan CC 272 (50) (Sawan Kankanamge 100, Lahiru Dilshan 55, Damith Silva 30, Kasun Abeyratne 39, Kevin Perera 20, Nipun Kanchana 2/57, Shashika Perera 2/29)
• Ragama CC 169-9 (50) (Sanjula Bandara 60 n.o., Dellon Peiris 27, Sadun Sathsara 3/20)

Today’s match

• CCC v Kandy Customs CC at CCC