With white ball captaincy on the line Shanaka continues to excel for SSC

Dasun Shanaka glides the ball for runs during his knock of 76 off 44 balls for SSC

Irosh Samarasooriya and Shalith Fernando scored hundreds for Galle CC  

• Wins for Moors SC, Nugegoda SWC, Negombo CC, Badureliya SC, Ace Capital CC

Dushan Hemantha excelled for BRC with four wickets

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

All-rounder Dasun Shanaka with his Sri Lanka white ball captaincy on the line, continued to impress with the bat scoring a third consecutive fifty for SSC in the SLC Major Club 50-over tournament to guide them to their third win and retain top position in Group B. SSC beat BRC by 99 runs at BRC grounds yesterday.

Shanaka slammed a 44-ball innings of 76 inclusive of seven fours and four sixes to help SSC total 272. Sri Lanka spinner Dushan Hemantha took four wickets for 34. BRC in reply made 173 falling to the part-time off breaks of Charith Asalanka (4/44).

Nugegoda SWC moved to second spot in Group B with a 17-run win over Panadura SC on the DLS method at Panadura. Ranitha Liyanarachchi’s contribution of 65 off 66 balls (3 fours, 5 sixes) helped Nugegoda SWC to a total of 206. Former Sri Lanka U19 cricketers Treveen Mathew (4/31) and Vishwa Lahiru (3/34) produced their best one-day bowling figures. Panadura SC with a revised target of 165 to chase off 28 overs were curtailed to a total of 147-7 by seamers Lahiru Gamage and Dilshan Abeysinghe who between them took five wickets.  

Negombo CC went to the top of Group A when they defeated Air Force SC by three wickets at Air Force grounds, Katunayake in a low scoring match. Air Force SC were put out for 112 by spinners Upul Indrasiri (4/16) and Dilshan Munaweera (3/24). Negombo CC also struggled for runs losing half the side for 59 but were guided home by former Sri Lanka player Milinda Siriwardana who scored a refined 49* off 60 balls (5 fours) to enable them to win by three wickets.

Colts suffered their first defeat when they went down to Moors SC by 22 runs on the DLS method at Moors SC grounds. Skipper Ramesh Mendis was once more the match-winner for Moors SC when he took 4/30 to dismiss Colts for 171. Sri Lanka cricketer Angelo Mathews top scored for Colts with a skilful knock of 72 off 94 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes). Moors SC chasing a revised target of 89 off 27 overs scored 112-3.

Spinners Parvez Rasool (4/50), Alankara Asanka (3/36) and Ruchira Koshitha (3/13) fashioned out Badureliya SC’s first win when they beat Kandy Customs CC by 127 runs at Surrey Village grounds, Maggona. Fifties from Ranesh Silva (62 off 97 balls, 4 fours) and Rohan Sanjaya (52 off 35 balls, 1 fours, 5 sixes) saw Badureliya SC to a score of 238-9. Kandy Customs CC were bowled out for 111.

Ace Capital CC also secured their first win thanks to seamer Sithum Dissanayake (3/29) and spinners Roshan Jayatissa (3/20) and Wanuja Sahan (2/29) who combined to dismiss Chilaw Marians CC for 114 at Bloomfield grounds. Ace Capital CC knocked the required runs off in 15.1 overs scoring 116-3 with Pawantha Weerasinghe contributing an unbeaten 49 off 32 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes).

Last year’s finalists Army SC were thwarted by rain at Army grounds Dombagoda where their fixture against Bloomfield ended in a no-result. Half-centuries from Shehan Fernando (50 off 82 balls) and Lakshan Edirisinghe (59* off 74 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) saw Army SC to a total of 245-7. Bloomfield made a positive start racing to 59-0 off 12 overs when rain brought the game to an abrupt end.  

Defending champions Tamil Union were left searching for their first win when they suffered their third successive no-result with rain intervening at the Galle Cricket Stadium. Centuries from Irosh Samarasooriya (128 off 153 balls, 15 fours, 1 six) and Shalith Fernando (101* off 94 balls, 8 fours, 5 sixes) helped Galle CC to an impressive score of 291-6. Tamil Union replied with 58-1 off 13 overs.

Today’s matches: 

Kurunegala YCC v Sebastianites at Kurunegala, CCC v Ragama CC at NCC grounds and Chilaw Marians CC v Nugegoda SWC at Maggona.