NCC, Navy record outright wins with a day to spare
NCC and Navy SC recorded outright wins with a day to spare against Army SC and Air Force in the Under 23 Division One cricket tournament matches played at the NCC ground and Welisara respectively.
This was the second successive week that NCC are securing an outright win within two days as they crushed Army SC by an innings and 156 runs while Navy SC defeated Air Force SC by 26 runs in a low scoring game.
Tharindu Ratnayake took four wickets for Bloomfield - Pix by Ranjith Perera
NCC bowlers spearheaded by right arm spinner Tharindu Kaushal who along with Lahiru Madusanka and Ravindu Tilekeratne laid the foundation for their win on the second day. The trio shared ten wickets between them as Ravindu and Kaushal ended with impressive figures of 4 for 24 and 4 for 29 to send Army SC resuming from their overnight score of eight for one reeling to a score of 100.
Army SC batting the second time with a deficit of 300 runs succumbed to Saranga Rajaguru and Ravindu who both ended with five wicket hauls to bundle them out for another low score of 144 helping NCC to record their third outright win.
The opening day’s play saw NCC taking first lease of the wicket being guided by Pawan Wickramasinghe who made a career best knock of 182 helping the home side
Custom's Indika Gallage in action
to amass a score of 400 for 8 declared.
Pawan’s knock came off 232 balls that comprised 13 boundaries and half a dozen sixes and was supported by another knock of 86 by Lahiru Udara which had eight boundaries.
In a match which was destined to end in a close finish Navy SC prevailed in a low scoring match against Air Force SC. The match was evenly poised when it ended on day one with the two teams having equal chances of gaining an outright win.
Navy SC batting first made 134 but they came back to restrict the Airmen to a low score of 116 and then end their second innings on 67 for 3. The second day’s play saw Navy SC collapsing as they lost the remaining seven wickets for the addition of 67 runs being bowled out for the identical score of 134.
This left Air Force SC a target of 153 runs but they were unable to make any headway as Yohan Soyza and Akash Senaratne who together shared seven wickets combined with effect to bowl them out for 126.
Ragama CC after being in a strong position of 418 for 5 on day one collapsed on the second day as they lost their remaining five wickets for the addition of 43 runs to end with a score of 461 in the match played at Braybrooke Place
Ragama CC’s massive score came on the back of a fine knock of 227 by skipper Dhananjaya de Silva that came off just 218 balls and included 31 boundaries and four sixes. Dhananjaya was also associated in a 200 runs stand for the fifth wicket with Shiran Ratnayake who chipped in with 86.
Bloomfield in their turn helped by half tons from Rukshan Weerasinghe, Charith Kumarasinghe and Himasha Liyanage ended day two on 322 for 8.
CCC has already obtained a first inning lead over Colts when play ended on the second day in the match at the Colts ground. CCC taking first lease of the wicket made 364 with Hashan Dumindu making a top score of 108 while Colts in their turn despite a knock of 108 by Aruna Dharamsena was able to muster score of only 283.
SLPA CC too has already obtained a first inning lead over Moratuwa SC when play stopped for lunch on the second day in the match played at the CCC ground.
SLPA CC having made a modest score of 187 bowled out Moratuwa SC resuming on their overnight score of 105 for 9 to a score of 118.
SSC after making 280 restricted Negombo CC resuming on their overnight score of 31 for 1 for a score of 228 to gain a first innings lead in the match at Reid Avenue.
At NCC: NCC beat Army SC by an innings and 156 runs
NCC 400 for 8 declared (Pawan Wickramasinghe 182, Lahiru Udara 86, Sandun Weerakkody 29, Lahiru Madusanka 24, Tharindu Kaushal 21, Saveen Nanayakkara 21: Nadeesha Sudarshana 3 for 83, Shehan de Silva 2 for 105)
Army SC (8/1 overnight) 100 (Leo Fransisco 20, Dilshan de Soysa 17, Shehan de Silva 15, Nalin Perera 20 n.o.: Ravindu Tilekeratne 4 for 24, Tharindu Kaushal 4 for 29, Lahiru Madusanka 2 for 18) and 144 (Leo Fransisco 34, Ramindu Nikeshala 31, Lakshitha Madushan 24: Saranga Rajaguru 5 for 38, Ravindu Tilekeratne 5 for 39)
At Welisara: Navy SC beat Air Force SC by 26 runs
Navy SC 134 (Sameera Chathuranga 51, Avishka Peiris 26: Dushan Vimukthi 4 for 26, Malith de Silva 3 for 41, Pramoda Chathuranga 2 for 16) and (67/3 overnight) 134 (Avishka Peiris 40, Sameera Chathuranga 17, Ashan Ranasinghe 21 n.o.: Malith de Silva 4 for 32, Pramoda Chathuranga 3 for 38, Dushan Vimukthi 3 for 49)
Air Force SC 116 (T. Nadeera 40, Malith de Silva 20, Pasindu Laksanka 15: Yohan Soyza 4 for 12, Akash Senaratne 4 for 44, Ashan Ranasinghe 2 for 37) and 126 (Kelum Nanayakkara 38, Yasoda Lanka 18, Kasun Rajitha 16: Yohan Soyza 4 for 30, Akash Senaratne 3 for 43)
At Braybrooke Place:
Ragama CC (418/5 overnight) 461 (Dhananjaya de Silva 227, Shiran Ratnayake 85, Eranga Ratnayake 46, Lahiru Milantha 31, Sachitha Jayatileke 18: Tharindu Ratnayake 4 for 105, Imran Khan 3 for 113, Koshan Jayawickrama 2 for 96)
Bloomfield 322 for 8 (Charith Kumarasinghe 59, Himasha Liyanage 55, Damith Priyadharshana 19, Rukshan Weerasinghe 98 n.o.: Amila Aponso 5 for 98, Dhananjaya de Silva 2 for 58)
At Colts:
CCC 364 (Hashan Dumindu 108, Maduka Liyanapathiranage 79, Lasith Abeyratne 66, Sachithra Perera 27, Roshan Anuruddha 20, Geshan Wimaladharma 19: Charith Sudaraka 3 for 84, Hasitha Fernando 2 for 47, Akila Dhananjaya 2 for 110) and 50 for 2 (Lasith Abeyratne 15, Rangika Sandaken 19 n.o.: Akila Dhananjaya 2 for 24)
Colts 283 (Aruna Dharmasena 108, Sadeera Samarawickrama 84, Angelo Jayasinghe 29: Maduka Liyanapathiranage 6 for 57)
At CCC:
SLPA CC 187 (Anuk de Alwis 89, Prashan Wickramasinghe 36, Thisara Bhanuka 19 n.o.: Sahan Nanayakkara 3 for 38, Thenuka Dhananjaya 3 for 58, Vihanga Kalhara 2 for 15) and 264 for 8 declared (Ishan Rangana 78, Anuk de Alwis 62, Prashan Wickramasinghe 45: Sahan Nanayakkara 3 for 67, Hashan Chamara 2 for 95
Moratuwa SC (105/9 overnight) 118 (Krishan Weeraratne 24, Sachin Dalpathado 49 n.o.: Aravinda Premaratne 6 for 39, Anuk de Alwis 2 for 43) and 17 for 1
At Reid Avenue:
SSC 280 (Dasun Shanaka 71, Kavindu Kulasekera 61, Minod Bhanuka 45, Pathum Madusanka 22, Vishwa Wijeratne 20: Shehan Madusanka 4 for 49, Malshan Gunasinghe 3 for 60) and 61 for 2 (Minod Bhanuka 31 n.o., Dasun Shanaka 25 n.o.: Kalhan Sineth 2 for 15)
Negombo CC (31/1 overnight) 228 (Nilochana Perera 86, Malshan Gunasinghe 41, Malinga Gunaratne 31: Binura Fernando 3 for 40, Kavindu Kulasekera 2 for 5, Kasun Madusanka 2 for 39)