Colts keep title-winning hopes alive with win

Pasindu Sooriyabandara notched his fourth double century, but Moors SC fell short by 19 runs

• Moors SC pipped to the post by Police SC

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Colts kept their title-winning hopes alive with a first innings win against BRC, while their nearest rivals Moors SC suffered a close 18-run first innings loss to Police SC in the Major Club 3-Day League Super Eights matches concluded yesterday.

Colts took over the lead in the standings from Moors SC when they dismissed BRC for 350 to take a first innings lead of 113 at the NCC Grounds. 

BRC resumed at a promising 198-4 in reply to Colts’ first innings of 463, losing their remaining six wickets for the addition of 152 runs. Hashan Dumindu played a lone captain’s knock of 163 off 262 balls (12 fours, 4 sixes). Dumindu and Raminda Wijesooriya (75 off 91 balls, 8 fours, 1 six) put together a partnership of 139 for the fifth wicket, but apart from that, there were no other noteworthy contributions from the rest of the batsmen to challenge Colts’ total. Seamer Udith Madushan and spinners Akila Dananjaya and Muditha Lakshan took nine wickets between them. 

Colts in their second innings piled up some useful batting points, scoring 260-9 in the remaining time left, courtesy fifties from Sangeeth Cooray (51 off 77 balls, 6 fours) and Muditha Lakshan (68 off 39 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes). Left-arm spinner Shashika Dulshan took 5/53. 

Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s fourth double century of his first-class career and Milan Rathnayake’s maiden first-class hundred failed to bring Moors SC the victory they so badly needed to keep abreast of Colts for the title. 

Despite the efforts of these two players, Moors SC agonisingly fell short of Police SC’s total of 463 when they were bowled out for 445 at the Pallekele Cricket Stadium. Moors SC were in deep trouble at 132-6 when the pair came together in a stand of 275 that raised hopes for Moors SC. But once the stand was broken with the dismissal of Rathnayake for a well-compiled 136 off 187 balls (15 fours, 3 sixes), Sooriyabandara could not find any support from the other end as the remaining three wickets fell for 38 runs, leaving Sooriyabandara unbeaten on 204 (271 balls, 22 fours, 1 six). Left-arm spinner Dilum Sudeera bowled his heart out for Police SC to finish with 5/170 off 39 overs to become the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 53 wickets. Police SC made 79-3 in their second innings.

Defending champions Bloomfield, with their reputation under a cloud following their second innings declaration against Moors SC which allowed their opponents to pull off an outright win last weekend, came up with their best batting display against NCC at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. 

In a high-scoring game that produced 987 runs for the loss of 21 wickets, Bloomfield overhauled NCC’s first innings total of 438 by replying with 501 to register their first win in the Super Eights stage following two losses. A feature of Bloomfield’s batting were the centuries scored by Captain Nipun Karunanayake (138 off 202 balls, 15 fours) and Ravindu Fernando (101 off 125 balls, 9 fours, 1 six), and their sixth wicket partnership of 112, that enabled Bloomfield to get close to NCC’s total and eventually overhaul it. Left-arm spinner Shakthi Udara took six Bloomfield wickets, conceding 157 runs off 43 overs. NCC scored 48-1 in their second innings.

CCC fell short by two runs in a thrilling run chase against Ace Capital CC at Colts Grounds. 

Ace Capital CC won the match in the first innings. After conceding a first innings lead of 99, CCC fought back through Test off-spinner Nishan Peiris (5/49) to bowl out Ace Capital CC for 119 in their second innings. It left them with a target of 219 to win off 25 overs. An opening stand of 108 off 13 overs between Nishan Madushka (60 off 47 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and Lasith Croospulle (54 off 47 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) set them on their way. Pavan Rathnayake kept the momentum going with 57 off 31 balls (2 fours, 4 sixes) in the middle phase. But with seven needed off the final over bowled by skipper Roshan Jayatissa and with four wickets in hand, CCC could manage only five runs, losing two wickets in the process, including that of Rathnayake, to the final ball of the match.