Premier cricket round-up

High riding NCC retain lead

By M Naushad Amit

After five weeks of continuous competition NCC continue to hold onto the lead of the Premier Inter-Club Tier ‘A’ points table after they piled up a massive first innings score of 551-9 declared and took first innings points against CCC in their drawn match at Maitland Place last weekend. Propped up with two massive tons by Sri Lankan opener Upul Tharanga (155) and in form batsman Dinesh Chandimal (164) and a late half century by Angelo Perera (56 n.o.), NCC dominated the high scoring game despite a bold reply by CCC who made 398. A well compiled century from top-order batsman Bhathiya Perera (123) enabled CCC to reach the total though their progress was somewhat checked by off-spinner Chanaka Komasaru who took five wickets. The result kept NCC on top of the points table and pushed CCC right to the bottom.

Dinesh Chandimal

CCC coach Vipula Sittamige said: “We have been good in getting runs and in our bowling. But we have failed to play the best 11 as some of our key players are out of the scene for various reasons. At the same time we have been constantly unlucky not to be able to earn at least first innings points. But we have six more weeks and things will definitely change in our favour.”
Sri Lanka Test wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (115) scored a timely hundred for his club Bloomfield against Ragama CC at Thurstan Cricket Complex which ended in a draw after rain prevented any play on the third and final day. Bloomfield retained no. 2 position. In a low scoring match Badureliya SC managed to pip Moors SC to gain first innings points and move two notches up to No.3 though the encounter ended in a draw at Braybrooke Place. Moors were bundled out for 178 and Badureliya replied with 202 in the first innings. Moors declared their second innings at 204-5 leaving Badureliya a challenging target of 181 in 25 overs. At close Badureliya were badly placed at 61-6. Rangana Herath claimed a match bag of 8 for 103 (5/68 & 3/35) for Moors who slipped to No.10 spot.
Chilaw Marians gained two places up in the points table to No.4 after taking first innings points against top riding SSC in a drawn match at Maitland Place. Despite a valiant century by Sri Lanka Test opener Tharanga Paranavitana (103), SSC were bowled out for 171 in their first innings. With a valuable knock of 76 from Milinda Siriwardena Marians replied with 210 despite off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake’s (5/71) threatening to run through the batting.
Marians’ coach Mahesh Weerasinghe said: “It was after 12 years that we defeated SSC on first innings. Earning first innings points against top teams like Colts and SSC has created a confident mindset among the players.”
Weerasinghe went on to say that despite Paranavitana’s chanceless ton their bowlers and fielders did an exceptionally good job to bowl SSC out. SSC declared at 283-7 in their second innings and gave Marians the challenge of 245 to chase in 45 overs, but the visitors were not interested in taking up the challenge finishing on 122-4 with Mahela Udawatte stroking an unbeaten 60.
SSC coach Avishka Gunawardena however said the toss played a vital role in the match. “The track we played was covered for almost 15 hours before the match. The ball was moving a lot in the first few overs. Apart from Paranavitana the others failed to adjust to the conditions. The bowlers gave a good fight back and we dropped a few half chances, otherwise 171 was a defendable score on a track like that,” Gunawardena said.
In another low scoring match where the highest total was 185, Saracens recorded their first win of the season beating Army SC by 43 runs at Panagoda. Saracens scored 171 in the first innings with Eranga Gangoda top scoring with 72 and 185 in the second innings with Samith Dushantha and Yohan Fernando scoring identical half centuries with 58 apiece. Saracens off-spinner Dilshan Wimaladharma took a career best 8/68. Army scored 161 in the first innings and failed to chase a target of 197 and was bowled out for 153 in the second innings. Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis ended up with a match bag of 8 for 106 (2/42 & 6/64) and Seekkuge Prasanna ended up with match figures 7 for 98 (4/44 & 3/54) but it was Saracens’ off-spinner Geeth Alwis’ 6 for 36 who provided the ultimate win for his team.
Saracens coach K Dinesh said he was of the view that an outright win would be possible after observing the pitch. “It was very impressive to record an outright win on an unplayable track. Dilshan Wimaladharma was the star on the first day with his eight wickets but it was Geeth Alwis who took six crucial wickets to ensure us a win. All in all it was a good team effort but the pitch was not suitable for a Division I club match,” the Saracens coach said. Saracens moved up to No.8 this week while Army SC after being defeated too moved up a place to No.11.
Opener Kanchana Gunawardena scored twin fifties (68 & 62) for Tamil Union while Sri Lankan all rounder Angelo Mathews (97) missed out a well deserved ton for Colts in their drawn match at P Sara Oval. Tamil Union scored 320 and had Colts bundled out for 283 in the first innings.
All rounder Umesh Karunaratne’s impressive performances brought a nine wickets win for Seeduwa/Raddoluwa CC against Air Force SC at Rifle Green in the Tier ‘B’ segment last week. Karunaratne who bowls off-spins bagged 6/52 to dismiss Air Force for 221 in the first innings. He then scored 85 to help Seeduwa/Raddoluwa pile up 267. Along with Ranil Dhammika (4/42) and Manjula Kumara (3/33), Karunaratne picked a further 3/43 in the second innings as Air Force was all out for 179. With an unbeaten knock of 73 Karunaratne helped his side reach the target of 134 to win the match.
High riding Lankan CC earned first innings points in their drawn encounter against BRC at Katunayake. BRC scored 216 while Lankan CC replied with 366. Second seeded Panadura SC managed to gain first innings honours against Police SC in their drawn encounter at the Panadura Esplanade. Navy SC opener Udara Jayasundera (102) scored the only century in the Tier ‘B’ segment matches last week as his side managed to edge out Sebastianites to earn first innings points in a match which ended in a draw at Moratuwa.