• SLC Major League 4-day final at SSC from today
• Fickle weather a factor in determining the result

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

CCC captain Ashan Priyanjan

Tamil Union captain Sadeera Samarawickrama

Following 14 weekends of intense competition marred to some extent by bad weather which affected several clubs badly in their attempt to avoid relegation, the Sri Lanka Cricket Major League tournament reaches its summit with the commencement of the 4-day final between defending champions CCC and Tamil Union at the SSC grounds today.

The two finalists who headed Group A and Group B respectively dominated the first round group stage to such an extent that they left their rivals far behind in the race for the group leadership.

CCC are the only team to end the group stage unbeaten, going through their 12 matches with five outright wins and six first innings wins resulting in them piling up an impressive 160.600 points, a clear margin of 41 points from Moors SC who finished second. Their match against Galle CC at Galle was abandoned without a ball bowled on all three days at Galle due to bad weather.

Tamil Union on the other hand suffered a shock outright defeat to Chilaw Marians CC and also lost one match on first innings to Army SC, and had their match against Panadura SC abandoned without a ball bowled at Panadura. However, they racked up enough points from their other matches to push their nearest rivals Army SC, out by 22 points.

While CCC will be looking to make it three-in-a-row to add to the titles they won in 2018-19 and 2019-20 – there was no Major League first-class tournament in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Tamil Union will also be eyeing a hat-trick of wins for the year 2022, having earlier won the SLC Major Clubs Emerging 3-day tournament in April and the SLC Major Clubs Limited-Over in August.

Captain Sadeera Samarawickrama, is the leading run scorer for Tamil Union with 791 runs (avg. 43.94) with three centuries. Left-handed opener Navod Paranavithana – 699 runs (avg. 38.83) with one century, Ravindu Fernando – 623 runs (avg. 47.92) with one century and Ron Chandraguptha – 531 runs (avg. 33.18) are the leading run-getters for Tamil Union.

Samarawickrama and Paranavithana come into the final on the back of a double century opening partnership of 229 against Nugegoda SWC where both batsmen completed big hundreds.   

The club’s success has revolved around the left-arm spin of Dilum Sudheera Thilakaratne who is two wickets shy of completing 50 wickets for the season (48 wickets at 24.62), and the off-breaks of all-rounder Ravindu Fernando who has captured 31 wickets (avg. 23.03), national poolist fast bowler Shiran Fernando (28 wickets at 20.71) and Naveen de Silva, the leg-spinner from Nalanda College who in his limited number of appearances has picked up 27 wickets from seven matches.

With the return of the national team players after the T20 World Cup, CCC are likely to be at full strength with star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga being the cynosure of all eyes, after finishing as the top wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup and thereby rising to the rank of number one spinner in the format. Due to his national commitments, Hasaranga has appeared in only one match for CCC in the Major League so far.

The star-studded CCC side led ably by all-rounder Ashan Priyanjan has several national players in their line-up which make them favourites to win the final. 

Although Wanindu Hasaranga and Asitha Fernando will not be part of today’s line-up, CCC have loads of experience from current players like Test fast bowler Vishwa Fernando, batsmen Kamindu Mendis and Minod Bhanuka, their principal run-getters with 752 runs (avg. 83.55) with three centuries and 781 runs (avg. 52.06) with two centuries respectively, seasoned campaigner Malinda Pushpakumara (45 wickets at 15.51) with his left-arm spin and wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan (17 wickets in seven matches).

CCC has also been well served by Lasith Abeyratne (615 runs, avg. 41), Chamindu Wijesinghe (535 runs, avg. 59.44), and Nimesha Gunasinghe (505 runs, avg. 31.56) in the batting and left-arm spinner Sonal Dinusha (35 wickets at 16.31), and the teasing off-breaks of Priyanjan (26 wickets at 21.23) in bowling. Priyanjan was forced to miss the last few games due to a knee injury but is returning to lead the side today.

With the weather being fickle as it is this contest could swing either way depending at which end of the barrel you are staring at. 

The winners stand to pick up Rs. 1 million and the runner-up Rs. 750,000. Individual awards are: Player of the Final – Rs. 150,000, Player of the Tournament – Rs. 600,000, Best Batsman of the Tournament – Rs. 500,000 and Best Bowler of the Tournament – Rs. 500,000.

SLC to decide relegated clubs to play in Tier B