Ace Capital CC become new contenders for title

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

An interesting third and final day of cricket is ahead of us today in the Major Club 3-Day League Super Eights, with Ace Capital CC emerging as the new challengers for the title following play on the second day yesterday.

Moors SC’s chances of pulling off an outright win against CCC at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium to keep their hopes alive to win the championship were drowned by Pavan Rathnayake’s brilliant double century, which saw his team pile up a massive total of 561. 

Moors SC, in their first innings, ended the second day at 108-2, trailing by a mountainous 453 runs with eight wickets in hand. With only one day remaining, there doesn’t seem to be too much one can expect from this match, other than a first innings win for one of the sides or a no-result. 

Continuing from his overnight score of 83, Rathnayake moved to his 14th first-class century off 122 balls and his double century off 203 balls. Overall, in his innings of 221 scored off 216 balls, he hit 18 fours and 7 sixes in an innings of controlled aggression, to which the opposition had no answer. Rathnayake was partnered in a double century stand of 200 for the eighth wicket by Chamindu Wijesinghe (65 off 141 balls, 5 fours, 1 six), which took the game away from Moors SC, for at that point, CCC were 319-7.

With Moors SC’s chances receding, Ace Capital CC put themselves as the new challengers to Colts. 

Having gained a slender first innings lead of 24, Ace Capital CC had Police SC on the back foot at 30-3 in their second innings by stumps at the NCC Grounds–an overall lead of 8. In reply to Police SC’s first innings of 286, Ace Capital CC scored 310, thanks largely to a last wicket stand of 60 between skipper Roshan Jayatissa (56 off 48 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) and Chamod Battege (4* off 23 balls) that saw them recover from 250-9. Spinners Dilum Sudeera (5/139), the season’s leading wicket-taker, and Rashmika Hirushan (4/41) were the pick of the Police SC bowlers. 

If Ace Capital CC pull off an outright win here, they will surely lay claim for the title regardless of how Colts perform.

NCC, who finished runner-up last year, held the upper hand in their match against Colts at the end of Day Two at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium. 

Resuming at 393-7, NCC went on to make 431, with Kamil Mishara reaching a career-best score of 187 off 192 balls (14 fours, 4 sixes). Right-arm seamer Kavisha Anjula was the pick of the Colts bowlers, finishing with 4/83. Colts, in reply, lost six wickets for 280. Test batsman Dinesh Chandimal scored a resolute 144 off 177 balls (13 fours, 1 six), his 38th first-class hundred. No one else made more than 40. 

For Colts to win the title, they must beat NCC in the first innings and hope that Ace Capital CC don’t win outright against Police SC. They have four wickets in hand and trail NCC by 151 runs. If Colts lose in the first innings to NCC, Ace Capital CC will become champions.

At the Galle Cricket Stadium, defending champions Bloomfield were not too happily placed in their game against BRC. 

Batting first, BRC carried their overnight score of 308-5 to a mammoth 475 courtesy of Promod Maduwantha’s eighth first-class century – 166 off 281 balls (16 fours). Having partnered Raminda Wijesooriya (77) in a stand of 142 on the first day, Maduwantha was involved in a further partnership of 116 with Chamika Heenatigala (65 off 111 balls, 7 fours, 1 six). Bloomfield used as many as nine bowlers in that innings. By stumps, Bloomfield were in a bad way at 129-4, with pacie Mohamed Shiraz creaming off their top four batters for 33 runs in 10 overs.