Tamil Union loses grip on Group ‘A’ with second defeat

SLC Major Limited-Over Inter-Club 

tournament 

Defending champions Tamil Union suffered their second defeat in the SLC Major Limited-Over Inter-Club tournament when NCC beat them by one wicket in a thrilling finish yesterday.

Tamil Union were bundled out for 105 by left-arm spinner Asel Sigera who returned career best figures of 5 for 18, but fought back hard through former Sri Lanka off-spinner Dilruwan Perera (5/21) to reduce NCC to 59-7 and then 85-9 before a last wicket partnership of 24* between Sachindu Colombage (13*) and Ashian Daniel (11*) saw NCC home. 

With SSC also suffering a shock 23-run defeat at the hands of Sebastianites, Ace Capital CC with a four-wicket win over Lankan CC moved to second place behind Moors SC who went to the top of Group A by thrashing Badureliya SC by nine wickets. Moors SC has 18 points from eight matches and Ace Capital CC 16 from six. SSC and Tamil Union are tied on 15 points at third and fourth places.

A career best one-day innings of 154* off 107 balls (15 fours, 8 sixes) from India’s Akshdeep Nath from Lucknow enabled Sebastianites to total 255. SSC fell short when they were bowled out for 232. 

Ace Capital CC rode on opener Thanuka Dabare’s aggressive knock of 89 off 49 balls (7 sixes, 7 fours) to successfully chase down Lankan CC’s total of 193, while Moors SC won a low scoring match where the opposition was shot out for 88. Former Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda cricketer Dinuka Dilshan hit an unbeaten 55 off 28 balls (4 sixes, 6 fours) and took two wickets with his off-breaks for Moors SC.

Army SC and CCC have opened up a three-point gap between them and the third placed team BRC in Group B with facile wins. Army SC completed an eight-wicket win over last year’s finalist Ragama CC where Lakshan Edirisinghe scored an undefeated 61 off 63 balls (3 sixes, 4 fours) and seamer Asank Manoj took four wickets, while CCC thrashed the daylights out of Nugegoda SWC to win by eight wickets with Pawantha Weerasinghe (78* off 69 balls, 13 fours) and Minod Bhanuka (58* off 39 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) sharing an unbroken stand of 109 for the second wicket.

Tillakaratne Sampath played a fine captain’s knock of 78 off 67 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes) to guide BRC to a six-wicket win over Panadura SC who made only 132 batting first. Army SC lead Group B with 18 points with CCC trailing behind by one point, both teams having played seven matches each.

Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep took five wickets and left-arm spinner Charith Sudaraka four as Police SC beat Saracens SC by four wickets. Left-arm spinner Danushka Sandaruwan took five wickets for 15 runs to rout Air Force SC for 73 and give Negombo CC a comprehensive win by 169 runs.  

A century from India’s Gaurav Jathar of Mumbai (122 off 126 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes) saw Chilaw Marians CC defeat Navy SC by 68 runs. In the other match concluded yesterday Kandy Customs CC beat Kurunegala YCC by 22 runs. (ST)