By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The 16 clubs that were on display yesterday in the ongoing SLC Major T20 inter-club tournament gave another pathetic display of batting for the second successive day with no team being able to come up with a par score of 180 plus.

The highest total recorded yesterday was 172-6 by Negombo CC at the FTZ grounds in Katunayake where they beat BRC by 47 runs. Roscoe Thattil was Negombo CC’s match-winner bowling his off-breaks with precision to return career best figures of 5 for 23.

The most exciting game of the tournament so far was also witnessed at the same venue when in the second game for the day Kandy Customs CC pulled off a thrilling four-run win over Badureliya CC.

Badureliya CC requiring 10 off the final over with two wickets in hand managed only five and also lost a wicket in their chase for 159. Their top order batting was curtailed by the right-arm fast deliveries of Ishitha Wijesundera who finished with figures of 4 for 15.  

A 105-run partnership for the second wicket between wicket-keeper/bat Charitha Kumarasinghe who hit a career best 61 not out off 53 balls and skipper Hashan Dumindu (52 off 48 balls) saw Saracens SC coast to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Panadura SC who were dismissed for 115. The win could have been achieved with plenty of balls in hand but the second wicket pair showed no urgency to knock the runs off and Saracens eventually won with two balls to spare.

Thikshila de Silva who played for Colombo Kings in the LPL enabled Chilaw Marians to bounce back from their defeat at the hands of KYCC, when he came up with a fine all-round performance capturing 2 for 26 with his medium-paced deliveries to restrict Kalutara TC for 111-9 and then top scoring with 38 out of an opening stand of 63 with Lasith Croospulle (33) to give the Marians a win by three wickets.   

NCC and Ragama CC secured their second successive wins in the tournament. The other clubs to record wins were Air Force SC and Moors SC.

Results   

At FTZ Katunayake

Negombo CC beat BRC by 47 runs

• Negombo CC 172-6 (20) (Dilshan Munaweera 39, Ashen Silva 40, Madawa Warnapura 42, Chameera Dissanayake 2/27, Duvindu Tillakaratne 2/27)
• BRC 125-9 (20) (Leo Fransisco 26, Lahiru Samarakoon 24, Madawa Warnapura 2/20, Roshen Fernando 2/13, Roscoe Thattil 5/23)

Kandy Customs CC beat Badureliya CC by 4 runs

• Kandy Customs CC 158-8 (20) (Akeel Inham 38, Rishi Bhardwaj 27, Sampath Perera 33, Nimanda Madushanka 2/29)
• Badureliya CC 154-9 (20) (Sandun Weerakkody 21, Tillakaratne Sampath 43, Gamindu Kanishka 21, Gihan Ratnayake 22, Nimanda Madushanka 23, Ishitha Wijesundera 4/15, Sachitra Perera 2/23)  

At CCC

Air Force SC beat Lankan CC by 6 wickets

• Lankan CC 137-6 (20) (Primosh Perera 24, Harsha Cooray 59, Saliya Saman 28, Lasanda Rukman 3/34)   
• Air Force SC 138-4 (17.1) (Sameera de Zoysa 30, Madhawa Nimesh 37, Geeth Kumara 2/22)

NCC beat SL Ports Authority CC by 8 wickets

• nSLPA SC 115-8 (20) (Yohan de Silva 33, Irosh Samarasooriya 20, Chaturanga de Silva 2/16, Chamika Karunaratne 2/23)
• NCC 119-2 (15.1) (Lahiru Udara 65 n.o., Angelo Perera 27, Kamil Mishara 22 n.o.)

At NCC

Moors SC beat Police SC by 6 wickets

• Police SC 98-9 (20) (Dulash Udayanga 21, Asel Sigera 21 n.o., Dilesh Gunaratne 2/21, Adeesha Thilanchana 2/17, Jeevan Mendis 3/13)
• Moors SC 99-4 (14.3) (Pabasara Waduge 21, Mohammad Shamaaz 26 n.o., Jeevan Mendis 23 n.o.)   

Chilaw Marians CC beat Kalutara TC by 3 wickets

• Kalutara TC 111-9 (20) (Geshan Wimaladharma 53, Thikshila de Silva 2/26, Pulina Tharanga 2/13)  
• Chilaw Marians CC 112-7 (16.1) (Lasith Croospulle 33, Thikshila de Silva 38, Mithun Jayawickrama 2/25, Denuwan Rajakaruna 2/24, Insaka Siriwardene 2/8)

At P. Sara Oval

Saracens SC beat Panadura SC by 8 wickets

• Panadura SC 115 (19.3) (Aruna Dharmasena 29, Sanoj Darshika 20, Chaminda Bandara 3/22, Promod Maduwantha 2/15)
• Saracens SC 119-2 (19.4) (Charitha Kumarasinghe 61 n.o., Hashan Duminda 52)

Ragama CC beat Sebastianites by 8 wickets

• Sebastianites 69 (16) (Manelker de Silva 15, Ishan Jayaratne 2/8, Binura Fernando 3/8, Amila Aponso 2/10)
• Ragama CC 70-2 (9.5) (Dineth Thimodya 29 n.o., Janith Liyanage 23 n.o.)

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