Upsets feature U23 Inter-Club 2-day tournament

• As clubs strive to finish in top two of group to qualify for knockouts

 By Sa’adi Thawfeeq           

The fourth day of matches in the Under23 Inter-Club tournament featured several upsets as the 26 clubs strived hard to finish one-two in their respective groups to qualify for a place in the quarter-finals.

At the receiving end were Tamil Union, Colts and Galle CC – all of whom lost on first innings, while Moors SC escaped defeat on first innings by the skin of their teeth to United Southern SC with their last pair Induwara Udena (20* off 33 balls, 4 fours) and Garuka Sanketh (3* off 17 balls) defending stoutly 43 balls in an unbroken stand. Moors SC finished on 251-9 in reply to United Southern SC’s total of 342 at Moors grounds. United Southern SC carried from their overnight 265-4 with Thamindu Pradeeptha scoring 60 off 114 balls (7 fours) and left-arm spinner Induwara Udena taking 4/103. Moors SC lost half their side for 90 when Ravishan de Silva (99 off 138 balls, 10 fours) and Sithum Vihanga (40) came together in partnership of 91. But the bowlers led by right-arm seamer Kaveesha Kalpana (3/47) kept picking up wickets at regular intervals to push Moors SC towards the edge.

Colts were stunned by Nugegoda SWC who dismissed them for 168 and forced them to follow-on at Colts grounds. Colts were derailed by left-arm spinner Brian Hansaja (4/50) and right-arm seam of Vishmika Sandeep (3/25). Hiran Jayasundara batted 107 balls for 41. Following-on Colts scored 127-2 with Jayasundara amongst the runs again with 57* off 93 balls (6 fours, 1 six) and captain Randunu Ganganath scoring 47 off 51. Nugegoda SWC scored 287.

Tamil Union’s batting faltered against Ragama CC to be all out for 170 in pursuit of 212 at Salawa Army grounds, Kosgama. Their batting was unsettled by off-spinner Dasith Gunathilaka (4/53). Ragama CC in their second innings scored 126-3.

Leo CC put up an all-round batting display to take first innings points off Galle CC at Air Force grounds, Katunayake. Former Josephian Avintha de Alwis unlucky to be run out for 99 (off 150 balls, 15 fours) held the Leo CC innings of 283-7 declared together replying to Galle CC’s 237. Nethma Karunaratne (51 off 85 balls, 5 fours) and Poorna Kalhara (58 off 34 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) also chipped in with some useful contributions. Galle CC in their second essay scored 175-8. Thevinda Rashmika top scored with 60 (48 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes) and seamer Nethma Karunaratne took 4/12.

Chilaw Marians CC bounced back from their defeat to CCC by trouncing Sebastianites by an innings and 17 runs at Army grounds, Dombagoda. Darshaka Sandeep missed out on a century by seven runs (93 off 135 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) as Chilaw Marians CC totaled 277-9 declared in reply to Sebastianites first innings of 139. Sandeep and Gimhan Rasanjana (53 off 110 balls, 5 fours) shared a stand of 115 for the fourth wicket. Off-spinner Sutharsan Subarnan (4/80) and seamer Rasheed Nahyan (3/26) took seven wickets between them. Left-arm spinner Irushka Thimira spun Sebastianites out for a second time for 121 with figures of 5/33 (match bag of 8/82).

Kandy Customs SC pulled off a four-wicket win against Army SC at Panagoda. Kandy Customs SC had to thank their seventh wicket pair Kaveesha Induwara (39) and Tenusha Nimsara (22) who put on 54 and pulled them out of trouble to give them a first innings lead after being 104-6 at one stage in reply to Army SC’s 153. They were eventually all out for 238 with Hasindu Wickramarachchi making a breezy 66 off 31 balls (3 fours, 7 sixes) and putting together 57 runs for the tenth wicket with Venkat Rajendran (4*). Inuka de Silva, a right-arm seamer, took 5/39. Army SC were knocked over for 176 in their second innings with all-rounder Nadun Asela Silva doing the damage with 5/37. Kandy Customs SC went through some anxious moments before knocking off the 92 runs for victory.

NCC secured their first win of the tournament when they won on first innings against Badureliya CC at Surrey grounds, Maggona. Trailing by only 22 runs at the end of the first day with seven wickets in hand, NCC had no problem getting past Badureliya CC’s first innings total of 171 replying with 247 with the middle order making some useful contributions. Badureliya CC in their second innings made 227 riding on Shehan Madusanka’s knock of 82 off 111 balls (12 fours).

Off-spinner Tharuksha Ashel took 6/55 to spin out Navy SC for 170 and give BRC a first innings win at the BRC grounds. Skipper Janith Fernando made a top score of 52 off 40 balls (3 fours, 5 sixes). Forced to follow-on 134 runs in arrears, Navy SC notched 188 with Yuneth Seneviratne scoring 96* off 102 balls (10 fours, 6 sixes) and former Isipathana College off-spinner Tharuksha Ashel taking 7/52 (match bag of 13/107). BRC scored 304.

Inuka Karannagoda, the former Mahanama College, Colombo left-arm spin all-rounder bowled CCC to an easy first innings win against Moratuwa SC at Welisara. Moratuwa SC resuming at 90-4 in reply to CCC’s total of 379-8 declared had their innings terminated at 203 with Karannagoda taking 5/90. Wageesha Perera top scored for Moratuwa SC with a patient 65 off 153 balls (7 fours). Despite leading by 176, CCC didn’t enforce the follow-on but batted a second time to finish on 261-4. Opener Sarith Sudeena and Sanul Weeraratne scored their second fifties of the match. Sudeena – 72 off 45 balls (6 fours, 5 sixes) and Weeraratne – 68* off 79 balls (7 fours, 1 six). Venura Vithanage and Rashmika Hirushan also chipped in with fifties apiece.