Quarter-finalists found at end of group stage

Tamil Union’s Sadeera Samarawickrama goes on the offensive on his way to making the highest individual score in the tournament – 93

Supun Kavinda’s devastating knock of 52 off 29 balls saw Tamil Union record the highest total 215-4 against Navy SC

CCC and Negombo CC from Group A, NCC and Colts from Group B, SSC and Kurunegala YCC from Group C, and Army SC and Tamil Union from Group D qualified to play in the knockout stage (quarter-finals) of the SLC Major T20 inter-club tournament at the conclusion of the group matches yesterday.

The quarter-final line-up for tomorrow is CCC v Tamil Union, NCC v Kurunegala YCC, SSC v Colts, and Army SC v Negombo CC.    

In a T20 tournament that has been replete with low scores, Tamil Union became the first team of the ongoing SLC Major T20 inter-club to top the 200-run mark when they raced to an impressive 215-4 against Navy SC at the NCC grounds.

The match also produced the highest individual score with Tamil Union’s Sadeera Samarawickrama, the Sri Lankan top order batsman eclipsing the previous highest score of 85 (n.o.) by scoring 93 off 50 balls inclusive of 4 sixes and 6 fours. However the most destructive innings was played by former Basilica College cricketer Supun Kavinda who slammed 5 sixes and 3 fours in scoring his maiden T20 50 (52) off 29 balls that saw Tamil Union go past the previous highest total of 179-6.   

The total in fact proved beyond the capabilities of the Navy who could reply with 146-6 and lose by 69 runs. The win saw Tamil Union finish second in Group D and qualify for a place in the quarter-finals edging out Ragama CC on a better net run rate.

In a key game to decide the quarter-finalists from Group D, a battle royal ensured between Army SC and Saracens SC in which the soldiers triumphed in a nerve-tingling finish to win by one run and end on top of the group and qualify. Saracens chasing 106 to win needed 12 off the final over with their last pair at the wicket and Asela Gunaratne, the former Sri Lanka all-rounder bowling the crucial last over denied Saracens the win by conceding 10 runs that included a hit for six off the last ball.  

Sri Lanka fast bowling all-rounder Lahiru Madushanka took a T20 career best 4 for 15 to enable CCC to beat BRC by seven wickets and finish the first round unbeaten with a 100% win record of six wins out of six and head Group A. Group B leaders NCC was the other club to win all their group matches (5).

Negombo CC edged out BRC on a faster run rate to qualify for the quarter-finals from Group A when they beat Kandy Customs CC by 16 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis rain rule. Negombo CC scored 150-7, but Kandy Customs had their innings disrupted due to rain and when play commenced their target was reset to 71 from 9 overs. They finished on 54-8.

Left-arm fast bowler Charith Jayampathi (4/26) and off-spinner Koshan Danushka (3/22) returned career best T20 figures to bowl Panadura SC to a close eight-run win over Sebastianites. (ST)    

Results

At FTZ Katunayake

CCC beat BRC by 7 wickets

• BRC 114-8 (20) (Shanuka Dulaj 50, Lahiru Madushanka 4/15)
• CCC 118-3 (11.4) (Ron Chandraguptha 38, Lasith Abeyratne 26 n.o., Minod Bhanuka 20, Ashan Priyanjan 29 n.o., Sachintha Peiris 3/21)
• Negombo CC beat Kandy Customs CC by 16 runs (D/L method)
• Negombo CC 150-7 (20) (Lahiru Milantha 30, Angelo Jayasinghe 37, Madawa Warnapura 21, Pasindu Lakshanka 29, Sachitra Perera 3/27)
• Kandy Customs CC 54-8 (9) (Akeel Inham 26, Roshen Fernando 3/13, Nisala Tharaka 2/10, Nishan Peiris 2/4)

At NCC

Tamil Union beat Navy SC by 69 runs

• Tamil Union 215-4 (20) (Sithara Gimhan 39, Sadeera Samarawickrama 93, Supun Kavinda 52)
• Navy SC 146-6 (20) (Waruna Mayantha 33, Buddika Madushan 20, Chanaka Ruwansiri 37, Pramod Madushan 3/39, Sachindu Colombage 2/14)
• Galle CC beat Nugegoda S&WC by 5 wickets
• Nugegoda S&WC 134 (20) (Sandaruwan Fernando 44, Muditha Lakshan 52, Rajith Priyan 4/20, Dilshan Kanchana 2/20, Ravishka Wijesiri 2/26)
• Galle CC 135-5 (19.5) (Dilshan Kanchana 56 n.o., Imesh Udayanga 43, Vinodh Perera 3/25)   

At Colts

Army SC beat Saracens SC by one run

• Army SC 105-8 (20) (Janith Silva 34 n.o., Udith Madushan 2/19, Malinga Amarasinghe 2/20, Sanjaya Chaturanga 2/26)
• Saracens SC 104-9 (20) (Thaveesha Kahaduwaarachchi 29, Hashan Duminda 21, Maheesh Theekshana 2/12, Sasika Dilshan 2/27, Dushan Vimukthi 2/11) 
  
  Panadura SC beat Sebatianites by 8 runs
• Panadura SC 122-8 (20) (Hashan Chamara 29, Hans Fernando 26, Chathura Obeysekere 3/17, Tharusha Fernando 3/16)
• Sebastianites 114-9 (20) (Sameen Kandeanarachchi 30, Vihan Gunasekare 26, Charith Jayampathi 4/26, Koshan Danushka 3/22)

 Army SC’s left-arm spinner Sasika Dilshan (right) is congratulated by Seekkuge Prasanna after taking the wicket of Saracens SC top scorer Thaveesha Kahaduwaarachchi for 29