Defending champs Colts squeeze through by one wicket

SSC pair Nawanidu Fernando (right) and Ashen Bandara steal a single during their 157-run partnership against Galle CC in the Major Club Youth under 23 match at the SSC grounds yesterday

Avishka Fernando and Heshan Danushka put on 75 runs in Colts’ thrilling one-wicket win over Kalutara Town Club at Colts grounds yesterday

• Eight Major Club Youth Under-23 matches decided on D/L rain rule

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Defending champions Colts pulled off a tense one-wicket win over Kalutara Town Club in a Major Club Youth Under-23 tournament match affected by rain and eventually decided on the Duckworth/Lewis rain rule.

Kalutara TC who won the toss batted out their full quota of 50 overs scored 205-9. Colts in their reply had their innings interrupted twice due to rain and their target revised twice. At the first stoppage after 2.1 overs the target was revised to 200 off 47 overs and at the second interruption with Colts placed strongly on 89-1 off 20 overs it was revised to 160 off 36 overs. 

Colts lost their momentum after this break and once the second wicket stand of 75 between Sri Lanka opener Avishka Fernando (58) and Heshan Danushka (39) was broken, the middle order collapsed and the game went down to the wire with the last pair eventually sealing a win for the champions.   

Eight of the 12 matches that were down for decision were decided on the Duckworth/Lewis rain rule after bad weather interrupted play. Only three matches were completed without interruptions while one match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.     

Panadura SC suffered the fate of having both their matches played over the weekend at Panadura washed out without a ball bowled due to a waterlogged outfield. Yesterday it was against Negombo CC.

Lankan CC stunned last year’s runner-up Chilaw Marians CC by trouncing them by 117 runs. In a match reduced to 43 overs a side Marians chasing a score of 197 were bundled out for a paltry 80 off 27 overs – the lowest total of the season. Their downfall was orchestrated by two Sri Lankan under 19 cricketers – Thomian left-arm fast-medium bowler Yasiru Rodrigo and Josephian left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage who between them took five wickets.    

Nuwanidu Fernando, right-hand bat from St Sebastian’s College Moratuwa, struck 108 off 107 balls inclusive of 5 fours and 3 sixes and put together a partnership of 157 with Ashen Bandara who until last month was with Saracens SC. Bandara hit a sparkling 93 not out off 59 balls that comprised 8 fours and 4 sixes to help SSC to a total of 298-5 to which Galle CC could reply with only 66-8 in a match decided by the D/L rule.

Mohammad Shamaaz, the former Zahira College right-hander, top scored for Moors SC with an attractive 90 off 94 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) and shared a stand of 135 with Pasindu Sooriyabandara (57 off 55 balls) as they beat Ports Authority by 94 runs. Former Maris Stella, Negombo right-arm fast-medium bowler Sanka Purna took his first five-for in club cricket with figures of 5/46 for Ports Authority. 

In the key game for the weekend Tamil Union beat CCC by three wickets. 

Results

At Welisara: Badureliya CC beat Navy SC by 37 runs (D/L rule)

• Navy SC 188-9 (49) (Bhagya Dissanayake 76, Imesh Viranga 29, Shalith Fernando 52, Malinda Jayod 4/34, Avindu Theekshana 2/37, Thamindu Wickramaarachchi 2/32) 
• Badureliya CC 125-4 (23.4) (Nishitha Abilash 47, Sheran Fonseka 33, Samitha Ranga 2/19) 

At Bloomfield: Bloomfield beat Kandy Customs CC by 27 runs (D/L rule)

• Bloomfield 182 (46.5) (Nipun Haggala 68, Vinuja Ranpul 26, Methushan Thilana 2/46, Nuwan Madushanka 2/44, Inman Imesh 2/5)
• Kandy Customs CC 123 (30.3) (Thimira Malshan 41, Sasith Manuranga 51, Dileepa Jayalath 3/16, Vinuja Ranpul 2/11)

At Colts: Colts beat Kalutara TC by one wicket (D/L rule)

• Kalutara TC 205-9 (50) (Remitha Peiris 50, Shehan Dilshan 34, Maduwinda Siriwardana 20, Senash Fernando 25, Likshan Sasanga 20 n.o., Nipun Ransika 3/23, Rohan Sanjaya 3/47, Jehan Daniel 2/32) 
• Colts 160-9 (34.5) (Avishka Fernando 58, Heshan Danushka 39, Lasindu Aroshan 4/41, Maduwinda Siriwardana 2/21, Senash Fernando 2/35)

At Katunayake: Air Force SC beat Ragama CC by eight runs (D/L rule) 

• Ragama CC 185 (43.1) (Manisha Rupasinghe 72, Yohan Liyanage 47, Movin Subasinghe 3/36, Ravindu Sendakuttige 3/25)
• Air Force SC 175-7 (46) (Chaamikara Hewage 32, Asintha Malshan 41, Shashika Priyamal 20 n.o., Shashika Dulshan 2/22, Dellon Peiris 3/21)

At SSC: SSC beat Galle CC by 199 runs (D/L rule)

• SSC 298-5 (50) (Nipun Dhananjaya 32, Nuwanidu Fernando 108, Ahan Sanchitha 22, Ashen Bandara 93 n.o., Kushan Madusha 2/56, Ravishka Wijesiri 2/65) 
• Galle CC 66-8 (25.4) (Pawan Sandesh 27, Kalana Perera 4/22, Dilum Thillakaratne 2/14)

At BRC: BRC beat Sebastianites by seven wickets (D/L rule)

• Sebastianites 211-9 (50) (Sachin Fernando 48, Tharusha Samarawickrama 26, Savindu Peiris 26, Devaka Peiris 24, Malinda Abishek 3/54, Neranjana Wanniarachchi 2/42)   
• BRC 160-3 (27.1) (Nisal Francisco 53, Yesith Rupasinghe 60, Hirantha Jayasinghe 31)

At NCC: NCC beat Saracens SC by 87 runs (D/L rule)

• NCC 248-7 (50) (Hasitha Boyagoda 28, Dineth Jayakody 78, Kalana Wijesiri 50, Wanuja Kumara 21 n.o., Kavindu Dilhara 2/59, 
• Saracens SC 81-5 (29) (Navindu Nirmal 30, Chamika Gunasekara 2/6, Ashain Daniel 2/18)

At Moors: Moors SC beat Sri Lanka Ports Authority by 94 runs

• Moors SC 266-8 (50) (Dinuka Dilshan 53, Jeni Flemin 31, Mohammed Shamaaz 90, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 57, Sanka Purna 5/46)
• Sri Lanka Ports Authority 172 (47.1) (Rashmika Mewan 63, Nawodya Imesh 37, Kavishka Anjula 3/28, Praveen Jayawickrama 3/23)

At P. Sara Oval: Tamil Union beat CCC by 3 wickets

• CCC 214-6 (50) (Malindu Maduranga 49, Pavan Ratnayake 28, Sonal Dinusha 26, Manelkar de Silva 26, Chamindu Wijesinghe 41 n.o., Ravindu Fernando 2/34)
• Tamil Union 184-7 (40.1) (Navod Paranavithana 58, Supun Kavinda 24, Ranmith Jayasena 20, Ravindu Fernando 28, Suwath Mendis 4/23)

At Panadura: Panadura SC v Negombo CC – No result (Match abandoned without a ball bowled) 

At Katunayake (MCG): Lankan CC beat Chilaw Marians CC by 117 runs

• Lankan CC 197 (40.3) (Vishwa Chaturanga 55, Sawan Kankanange 37, Damith Silva 32, Kasun Abeyratne 41, Shehan Silva 2/46, Lasith Croospulle 4/20)   
• Chilaw Marians 80 (27) (Raveen Yasas 22, Yasiru Rodrigo 2/15, Dunith Wellalage 3/16) 

At Panagoda: Army SC beat Police SC by 60 runs (D/L rule)

• Army SC 204-9 (34) (Harith Fernando 65, Bishan Mendis 20, Pathum Kumara 22, Gihan Koralage 32, Inosh Gunawardene 2/31, Mohamed Faheem 3/36, Nadeera Balasuriya 2/18)
• Police SC 100-7 (24) (Charuka Jayatillake 19, Hashan Sandeepa 2/22, Mahesh Theekshana 2/7, Gihan Koralage 2/18)