Mathews, Wellalage see Colts home in rain-shortened game

Oshada Fernando and Eranga Jayakodyge during their 74-run stand for Panadura SC

The Panadura SC run chase featured three run outs

• NCC-Badureliya SC match ends in bizarre circumstances
• SLC Major Club T20 Tournament

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Angelo Mathews, in his first match in white-ball cricket after announcing his retirement from Test cricket at the end of the first Test against Bangladesh at Galle next month, hit an unbeaten 30 off 20 balls (3 fours, 1 six) to guide Colts to a comfortable seven-wicket win against Havelock Park rivals BRC in a rain-shortened Major Club T20 match played at the SSC grounds yesterday.

Mathews, who is available for selection in the white-ball format, and Dunith Wellalage (18*) added 38* for the fourth wicket to see Colts go past BRC’s score of 73 in a 15-over game. Spinner Akila Dananjaya (3/18) and seamers Dilshan Madushanka (2/11) and Dhananjaya Lakshan (2/10) were all over the BRC batting after they were invited to bat first.

It was Colts’ second win in the tournament in as many games as they kept pace with Group B leaders Bloomfield, who maintained their position at the top by beating Chilaw Marians CC by seven wickets in a game reduced to 8 overs a side at the CCC grounds. 

Sri Lanka’s Hong Kong Sixes winning Captain Lahiru Madushanka made it virtually a no-contest with a blistering knock of 54* off 21 balls (5 fours, 4 sixes) as Bloomfield chased down Chilaw Marians CC’s score of 66-4 to win with 11 balls to spare. Madushanka came to the wicket with Bloomfield having lost both openers for ducks to the off-breaks of Sammu Ashan, and a third at 18 in the third over. He simply took the game away from Chilaw Marians CC with his powerful onslaught of their bowling. Skipper Nipun Karunanayake’s contribution in an unbroken stand of 54 for the fourth wicket was just eight, which showed the dominance Madushanka had over the bowlers.

Persistent rain the previous night left its indelible mark on the tournament, with all the six matches being played under reduced overs. Nevertheless, a result was possible in all of them, which, considering the bad weather we’ve experienced over the past few days, is a moral victory.

NCC had to concede their Group A leadership to Moors SC after their match against Badureliya SC at Colts grounds ended in a no-result due to rain. Both teams shared two points. 

The match finished in bizarre circumstances when Badureliya SC refused to continue without a hard copy of the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern (DLS) sheet after rain had caused a temporary stop with NCC at 31-1 (3.1). NCC were chasing a revised target of 105 in 13 overs after Badureliya SC had scored 149-7 of their allotted 20 overs, with Seekkuge Prasanna providing the fireworks in a late flourish to their innings with a belligerent 58 off 29 balls (4 fours, 5 sixes). Usually, the DLS sheet is e-mailed by Sri Lanka Cricket to the club office where the match is played, but the office was apparently closed and there was no way the teams could get a hard copy. 

By edging out CCC by 11 runs in a game reduced to 11-overs-a-side at the SSC grounds, Moors SC went atop of Group A with their second straight win. 

Invited to bat first, Moors SC scored 111-5 through contributions of 37, 23, and 29 from Sohan de Livera, Sadeera Samarawickrama, and Pasindu Sooriyabandara, respectively. CCC were well on course to overhaul that score at 81-5 when former Sri Lanka U19 seamer Garuka Sanketh turned the game in Moors SC’s favour by dismissing the well-set Sahan Kosala (30 off 11 balls) and Chamindu Wijesinghe (7) in the 10th over. With 23 required off the final over, CCC lost their Captain Sonal Dinusha to a run out off a no-ball by his vis-à-vis Ramesh Mendis for 14 and they managed only 11 runs.

Police SC and Panadura SC both recorded their first wins of the tournament. 

Police SC beat Nugegoda SWC by eight wickets, with Nugegoda SWC suffering their second defeat in a row. The 13-overs-side match played at the Colts grounds saw Nugegoda SWC, put in to bat first, restricted to 87-5. Former Sri Lanka U19 opener Pulindu Perera was their top scorer with 32. Police SC had no difficulty in passing that score with contributions of 30* from Captain Priyamal Perera and 20s from Vishad Randika and Ashen Bandara.

Panadura SC pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win (DLS method) with two balls to spare against Kurunegala YCC at the CCC grounds in a game reduced to 18 overs-a-side. Panadura SC, chasing a target of 162, were strongly placed at 135-3 in the 13th over, but three unwarranted run outs saw them slump to 152-7 in the 16th over. They lost another wicket in the final over before edging their way home. Leo Fransisco top-scored for Kurunegala YCC with 63 off 44 balls (2 fours, 6 sixes), and Oshada Fernando (44 off 27) and Eranga Jayakodyge (48 off 30) were Panadura SC’s principal scorers.

Today’s matches:

At P. Sara Oval: BRC v Nugegoda SWC 9:45 a.m., CCC v Badureliya SC 2 p.m.

At CCC grounds: Colts v Chilaw Marians CC 9:45 a.m., Moors SC v Kurunegala YCC 2 p.m.

At Colts grounds: Ace Capitals CC v Panadura SC 9:45 a.m., Tamil Union v Police SC 2 p.m.