Police SC rule the roost with thumping innings win

•  Results in all six Major Club 3-Day League matches

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

On a weekend where none of the other 10 clubs were able to pick up full points, Group A table leaders Police SC were the only ones to do so, beating Chilaw Marians CC by an innings and 154 runs in a Major Club 3-Day League match played at the Colts Grounds yesterday.

The win consolidated Police SC’s position at the top of the table, opening up a 12-point gap against their nearest rival Colts. The win was contrived by Police SC skipper Ashen Bandara, who struck a brilliant double century to put his team firmly in the driving seat with a total of 477, and by the seam cum spin combination of Nipun Premaratne (match bag 5/64), Dilum Sudeera (5/102), and off-spinner Nalin Priyadarshana, who took 6/37 to put out Chilaw Marians CC for 170 in the second innings after being asked to follow-on 324 behind. Lasith Lakshan top-scored for Chilaw Marians CC with 89 off 144 balls (9 fours, 1 six).

Colts and Nugegoda SWC, the nearest rivals to Police SC, won their matches in the first innings.

Colts dealt Bloomfield a severe chance of retaining their title with another first innings loss to the defending champions at NCC Grounds. 

Trailing Colts by 66 runs in the first innings, Bloomfield managed to hang on in their second innings to score 238-9 to force a draw. Ravindu Fernando’s 12th first-class hundred – 100* off 146 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) – helped Bloomfield in their cause. Right-arm seamer Udith Madushan picked up three further wickets for a match return of seven wickets.

Tillakaratne Sampath, brother of former Sri Lanka Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, belied his age of 43 to score an undefeated 129 (off 269 balls, 7 fours, 5 sixes) and share a fourth wicket partnership of 106 with Pathum Kumara (55 off 79 balls, 7 fours) to lead Nugegoda SWC to a first innings win against Panadura SC at the Welagedara Stadium, Kurunegala. 

Having shot out Panadura SC for 118, Nugegoda SWC put themselves in a position for an outright win by replying with 318-5, an overall lead of 200. However, Panadura SC put up a better batting performance second time around, scoring 307-4 with Test opener Oshada Fernando leading the way with a defiant 128 off 230 balls (13 fours) and being involved in two century partnerships – 108 with Vishwa Chaturanga (50) and 103 with Sasindu Malshan (44).

In a battle for top position from Group B, BRC edged out Tamil Union in the first innings in a close contest at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium, Sooriyawewa. 

An opening stand of 172 between Heshan Danushka (72 off 194 balls, 6 fours) and Saminda Fernando (92 off 192 balls, 6 fours) set BRC on course for a comfortable first innings win. But Tamil Union hit back, picking wickets at regular intervals so that BRC had to fight hard to go past the Tamil Union total (309), which they finally did, replying with 312-8 declared. Tamil Union were 76-2 in their second innings.

Moors SC also had a narrow first innings win over NCC at the CCC Grounds. 

Replying to NCC’s 296, Moors SC, resuming at 261-6, managed to squeeze past that total, scoring 317 depending largely on Shehan Fernando’s knock of 50* off 93 balls (5 fours, 1 six). NCC scored 103-2 in their second innings. 

In the battle of the wooden spoonists, Kurunegala YCC (295) got the better of Badureliya SC (211), taking a first innings lead of 84 at the P. Sara Oval. Badureliya SC scored 216-5 in their second innings.