Tamil Union enters Major Club Emerging 3-day final

• Sebastianites pip Moors SC to qualify for second semi-final

Sebastianites pipped Moors SC to top Group A and thereby qualify as the fourth and last team to make the semi-finals of the Major Club Emerging three-day tournament, when they beat Navy SC by six wickets inside two days at Welisara.

Sebastianites ended with 89.36 points (5 wins) to Moors SC’s 85.65 points (4 wins). Sebastianites thus qualified to meet Colts in the second semi-finals scheduled from 8-10 April at the P. Sara Oval.

Colts finished their Group D matches on a high running up the highest total of the tournament – 568-7 declared against Park rivals BRC. Colts had already qualified for the semi-finals and this final game served as a warm-up for the semi-finals against Sebastianites next weekend. 

Taking top billing was the double century scored by former Nalandian opener Avishka Perera who surpassed Colts team mate Ravindu Rasantha’s score of 224* made against Kalutara TC. Perera was involved in an opening stand of 326 with former Thomian left-hander Shalin de Mel (172). The highest partnership for any wicket in the tournament is also held by Perera – 395 with Rasantha against Kalutara TC.   Meanwhile, a destructive spell of right-arm medium fast bowling from 19-year-old Royalist Kavindu Pathiratne coupled with fifties from Supun Kavinda (69), Kamesh Nirmal (90) and Ravindu Fernando (87) saw Tamil Union pull off a comfortable first innings win over Negombo CC in the first semi-final played at Army SC grounds Dombagoda and enter the final.

Pathiratne who has not scored a century or taken five wickets in an innings at any level of cricket achieved both during the ongoing tournament representing Tamil Union. He scored 111 against Ragama CC and on Friday took his first five-for returning figures of 8 for 35 off 14.5 overs to dismiss Negombo CC for 118 in the first innings. 

It was a rare feat of a fast bowler capturing eight wickets in an innings. With Tamil Union gaining a handy first innings lead of 190 scoring 308, Negombo CC were badly placed at 69-4 in their second innings – still trailing by 121 runs with six wickets in hand when the third and final day’s play yesterday was forced to be abandoned without a ball bowled due to the government imposing an island wide curfew. (ST)