Tamil Union win Major Club Emerging 3-day final

Champion team Tamil Union with the Major Club Emerging 3-day champions trophy

• Sebastianites trapped in Sudeera’s web succumb to defeat

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne spun a web around the Sebastianites batsmen capturing a match bag of 12 wickets for 126 runs as he single-handedly steered Tamil Union to a 44-run win in the Major Club Emerging three-day final concluded at the SSC grounds yesterday.

Sebastianites had no answer to Thilakaratne’s tantalising left-arm spin as they were dismissed for 166 in their second innings.

Thilakaratne who took seven wickets for 65 in the first innings to bowl out Sebastianites for 167 in the first innings was once again their nemesis as he grabbed a further five wickets in the second innings for 61 runs.

The third and final day was set for an absorbing finish when Tamil Union who were 39-3 in their second innings was dismissed for 123 leaving Sebastianites a target of 211 to chase in 67 overs to win the final.

Sebastianites got off to the worst possible start in their quest to chase down 211 when they lost acting skipper Sandun Fernando and his opening partner Navindu Madushanka cheaply to be two down for four by the third over. It soon became 19-3 when Kavindu Pathiratne got the prize wicket of Sebastianites’ leading run scorer Manelker de Silva for 10.

Vishal Silva (33) and Vimud Sapnaka (52) took the total to 75 before being separated. Thereafter Sebastianites lost wickets at regular intervals as Thilakaratne’s probing deliveries tested their skills against quality left-arm spin to which they had no answer.

Strangely enough it was Thilakaratne for Tamil Union and Tharindu Ratnayake for Sebastianites who stood out in the bowling, finishing the tournament with 51 wickets apiece, one more than Army SC’s left-arm spinner Kaumal Nanayakkara (50), who won the Best Bowler’s award of Rs. 75,000.

Ratnayake who bowls with both hands ended with match figures of 9 for 169 adding four more wickets to the five he captured in the first innings. He, along with the medium-pace of Manelker de Silva (5/27) made short work of the Tamil Union second innings terminating it for 123 to leave themselves with a realistic target to chase in the fourth innings, to which their batsmen failed to respond.

Thilakaratne not only contributed with the ball but made some useful runs with the bat as well making a top score of 39 off 94 balls (4 fours) and figuring in a partnership of 57 with Santhush Gunathilaka (32) to lift Tamil Union from 19-3 to their final total.

It was a final dominated by the bowlers where only two batsmen crossed the 50-run mark. Tamil Union skipper Ranmith Jayasena collected the Major Club Emerging (3-day) Champions trophy as well as a cheque for Rs. 500,000 as winners, while Sebastianites received Rs. 300,000 as runner-up.   Movin Subasingha (382 runs & 35 wickets) of Air Force SC took the Player of the Tournament award of Rs. 100,000 and Avishka Perera (663 runs) of Colts won the Best Batsman’s award of Rs. 75,000.

The awards were distributed by Tournament Committee Chairman Samantha Dodanwela and National Cricket Operations Head Chinthaka Edirimanne.

Scores

• Tamil Union 254 and 123 (o/n 39-3) (Santhsuh Gunathilaka 32, Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne 36, Tharindu Ratnayake 4/56, Manelker de Silva 5/27)
• Sebastianites 167 and 166 (Vishal Silva 33, Vimud Sapnaka 52, Dilum Sudeera Thilakaratne 5/61, Kavindu Pathiratne 2/24)

Player of the Tournament Movin Subasingha (Air Force SC)

Best Batsman of the Tournament Avishka Perera (Colts)

 Best Bowler of the Tournament Kaumal Nanayakkara (Army SC)