SLC Major League inter-club tournament Tamil Union, Army SC only teams to win on rain-truncated weekend

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

On a rain-truncated weekend of the SLC Major League inter-club tournament, Tamil Union and Army SC were the only two teams to grab first innings points of the 12 matches concluded yesterday.

Group B leaders Tamil Union regained some of their composure when they scored a first innings win over Bloomfield in their match which ended in a draw at Bloomfield grounds. With no play being possible on the first two days, Tamil Union who won the toss invited Bloomfield to bat first at Bloomfield grounds and dismissed the hosts for 107 with spinners Ravindu Fernando (5/37), Raveen de Silva (3/31) and Dilum Sudeera (2/24) doing the damage.

Tamil Union replied with 215 despite their first four wickets doing down for 47. Wicket-keeper Kamesh Nirmal, the younger brother of Sri Lanka cricketer Dinesh Chandimal with his fifth first-class fifty (54 off 48 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and a maiden first-class fifty from Supun Kavinda (59 off 52 balls, 2 fours, 4 sixes) rescued Tamil Union.

In an extraordinary final day at Welisara, Army SC pulled off a first innings win over Navy SC to keep pace with Tamil Union in the race for the top spot of Group B. With the first two days play being washed out, the third day saw Army invited to bat first rattle off 271-4 declared courtesy of an unbroken double century fifth wicket stand of 206 by skipper Lakshan Edirisinghe (123* off 157 balls, 4 fours, 6 sixes) and Mahesh Kumara (111* off 134 balls, 9 fours, 1 six).

Navy SC were bundled out for 106 with leading wicket-taker left-arm spinner Kaumal Nanayakkara taking his ninth five-fer of the season (5/46). Following-on Navy SC made 11-3 with Nanayakkara adding two further wickets to take his overall tally to 66 wickets.     

BRC came within one wicket of grabbing first innings points against Sebastianites at the BRC grounds. Opener Leo Fransisco’s fifth first-class century (103 off 192 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) and his opening stand of 108 with captain Tillakaratne Sampath 62 (3 fours, 4 sixes) enabled BRC to score 262 after being put into bat first. Sebastianites leg-spinner Tharusha Fernando took his first five-fer (7/92). Sebastianites replied with 162-9 with Fernando playing his role as a batsman scoring an unbeaten 22 off 37 balls to deny BRC first innings points.

SSC ran out of time to take first innings points from Kandy Customs SC at Thurstan Road. Kandy Customs were dismissed for 160 with Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya capturing 5/54. SSC replied with 134-4.

In the other matches where neither side could obtain first innings points Ace Capital SC 192-4 decl (Oshada Fernando 113* off 119 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes) drew with Badureliya SC 65-2 at Dombagoda, Chilaw Marians CC 292-6 (Anuj Jotin 89*, Raveen Yasas 95) drew with Air Force SC at R. Premadasa Stadium, Kurunegala YCC 155-6 drew with Colts at Welegadara Stadium, Panadura SC 300-9 decl drew with Negombo CC 75-4 at Katunayake, Police SC 222-4 decl (Heshan Danushka 100 off 193 balls, 7 fours) drew with Lankan CC 3-2 at SSC grounds, and Nugegoda SWC 177-4 decl drew with Saracens SC 19-0 at Moors SC grounds.       

The Galle CC v Moors SC match at Galle and Kalutara TC v Ragama CC at Maggona were abandoned as a draw without a ball bowled on all three days due to bad weather and wet ground conditions.