Group leaders SSC, Ragama CC make merry under the sun

• Avishka Fernando hits 16 sixes in 118* off 38 balls
• SLC Tier 'B' T20 Tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Group leaders SSC (Group A) and Ragama CC (Group B) made the most of a rare sunny day yesterday to register wins and maintain their positions at the top in the SLC Tier 'B' T20 Tournament.

SSC posted the highest total of the day – 192-4 against Sebastianites at Army grounds, Dombagoda with their captain Avishka Fernando contributing a power packed 118* off 38 balls that included an astonishing 16 sixes and a mere 2 fours. Fernando reached his first fifty off 20 balls and his second 50 came up in only 13 balls as he pummelled the Sebastianites bowlers to all corners of the field. With Nipun Dhananjaya (30 rtd. out), Fernando added exactly 100 of 50 balls for the third wicket. Sebastianites also began their chase strongly racing to 91-1 in 12 overs when rain ended play. At that point they were 10 runs short of the DLS par score and thereby lost the contest by 9 runs. It was sheer bad luck on the part of Sebastianites who had their game against Negombo CC at Bloomfield grounds on Wednesday abandoned without a ball bowled.

For SSC, this win, their third in four matches came back-to-back having beaten Galle CC by 84 runs at Surrey Village grounds, Maggona on Wednesday. Nipun Dananjaya’s 44-ball 62 (8 fours, 1 six) enabled SSC to total 151-6 off 20 overs. Galle CC was shot out for 67 off 19.2 overs with leg-spinner Kavindu Nadeeshan causing the damage with figures of 4/9.  

Ragama CC pulled off a thrilling one-run win against Leo CC at Surrey Village grounds, Maggona to retain their position at the top of Group B. It follows back-to-back wins after they beat Kandy Customs SC by 41 runs (DLS method) at the Army grounds, Dombagoda on Wednesday.

Contributions of 31 and 41 from Deneth Sithumina and Kavindu Ranasinghe respectively saw Ragama CC to a score of 121-7. Kandy Customs SC chasing a revised target of 112 off 17 overs managed only 70-9 their batsmen kept pegged down by the left-arm spin of Kaveesha Dulanjana (3/8) and Upul Indrasiri (3/13). Yesterday, in another low scoring game Ragama CC defended their total of 112, by restricting Leo CC to 111-7.

Second placed Army SC kept pace with Ragama CC also with back-to-back victories. They beat Moratuwa SC by 4 wickets at Bloomfield grounds on Wednesday with left-arm spinner Gayan Chandrabose returning figures of 4/7 to keep Moratuwa SC down to a score of 106-9. Army SC passed that target quite comfortably with seven balls to spare. On their home turf at Dombagoda yesterday, Army SC thrashed Kandy Customs SC by seven wickets with plenty to spare. Right-arm leggie Lilan Rangana (3/12) opening the bowling caused quite a flutter in the Kandy Customs SC batting ranks capturing three of the first four wickets to fall for four runs. Kandy never recovered from that early collapse and were shot out for 55. Army SC knocked the runs off easily after Ashan Sudarshana (28) and captain Ishara Mendis (23) had posted 50 in an opening stand inside the first power play.

Following their abandoned game against Navy SC at Maggona on Wednesday, Malay CC did well to beat Negombo CC by four wickets at the Colts ground yesterday and secure vital points to keep them in second spot behind SSC in Group A. Negombo CC managed 109-7 banking heavily on captain Umesh Lakshan’s 32 off 33 balls. Malay CC were in trouble at 83-6 when former Matara Thomian all-rounder Woshitha Amarasinghe came to their rescue with a match-winning knock of 50* off 36 balls (3 fours, 3 sixes).

Galle CC, United Southern SC and Leo CC registered their first wins in the tournament. Lisula Lakshan’s 67 off 40 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) and left-arm spinner Amitha Kaushalya’s career best performance of 4/15 enabled Galle CC to beat Navy SC by 9 runs at Colts grounds. Galle CC scored 140-8 and restricted Navy SC to 131-8 (Poorna Charuka 66* off 43 balls, 3 fours, 5 sixes).

United Southern SC had mixed fortunes on successive days. On Wednesday they lost to Leo CC by 7 wickets (DLS method) at Dombagoda. United Southern SC score 98-9 in 18 and Leo CC chasing a revised target of 44 in 7 overs replied with 44-3 in 5.5. However, yesterday at Maggona, United Southern SC got the better of Moratuwa SC by 7 wickets. Former Matara Thomians off-spinner Pesandu Sanjan (5/10) and the unbroken stand of 90 between Denuvan Rajakaruna (47*) and Raveen Perera (35*) featured their win.