Moors SC outclass Air Force SC by six wickets
Inclement weather in the previous day forced delayed starts in the Premier Limited Over cricket matches with four of them played with reduced overs yesterday.
The match between Tamil Union and Badureliya SC due to be played at the P. Sara Stadium was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield
Mahela Udawatte of SLPA makes it on time to his mark on his way to score 37 against Colts at NCC - Pic by Ranjith Perera
However, Moors SC made mince meat of Air Force SC, outclassing them by 6 wickets in the match played at Surrey Village in Maggona.
The match was curtailed to 40 overs per side. The left and right arm spin combination of Chathuranga de Silva and Janaka Gunaratne laid the foundation for Moors SC who put the Airmen into bat.
The pair scattered eight Air Force wickets as they ran through the opponent’s batting and had them struggling at 55 for 5 in the 18th over. The late order batting put in some resistance but they succeeded only to post 122. Chathuranga returned with impressive figures of 5 for 20 off his ten overs while Janaka grabbed three for 11 in seven overs.
Moors SC in their run chase lost an early wicket with nine runs on the board but recovered through a 37-run stand for the second wicket between Irosh Samarasooriya and Harsha Cooray before falling back. They lost two quick wickets for the addition of 13 runs.
That was all what the Air Force bowlers could achieve. Kosala Kulasekera and Oshada Fernando guided the side without any hiccups with an unbroken 67 runs partnership for the fifth wicket helping them in reaching the target off 32 overs.
Right-arm spinner Malinga Bandara and left arm pacie Nilanka Premaratne laid the foundation for Ragama CC’s 5-wicket win against Army SC in the match at the FTZ ground in Katunayake.
Army taking first lease of the wicket was restricted to a score of 156 in a 49-over game. Ragama CC in pursuit of 157 runs was steered by Nilshan Nonis’ and Sameera de Zoysa’s half tons. They associated in a match-winning fourth wicket stand of 120 runs enabling them race to the target in the 40th over.
CCC openers Hashan Duminda and Lasith Abeyratne paired together in a 114-run partnership which helped them post a comfortable 5-wicket over Saracens SC at the De Zoysa Stadium in Moratuwa.
In a match curtailed to 36 overs saw Saracens SC batting first being bowled out for 131. CCC in their turn coasted to victory in the 27th over.
Left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana’s four wicket haul and half tons by Shehan Jayasuriya and Kusal Perera paved the way for Colts to overcome SLPA CC by 9 wickets at NCC ground.
SLPA CC sent into bat first found Sachith along with Anuk Fernando and Ishan Jayaratne too hot to handle and succumbed to a score of 145 in the 46 over match.
Later Shehan and Kusal gave the Colts a flying start putting on 114 runs which helped them to reach the target in 28.1 overs.
At Maggona: Moors beat Air Force by 6 wickets
Air Force SC 122 in 40 overs (Yasoda Lanka 37, T. Nadeera 23, Charith Ruchiranga 20, Pishan Hewage 17: Chathuranga de Silva 5 for 20, Janaka Gunaratne 3 for 11)
Moors SC 126 for 4 in 31.1 overs (Irosh Samarasooriya 25, Harsha Cooray 23, Kosala Kulasekera 34 n.o., Oshada Fernando 31 n.o.: Buddika Sandaruwan 2 for 21, Akila Ishanka 2 for 41)
At FTZ Katunayake: Ragama CC beat Army by 5 wickets
Army SC 156 in 49 overs (Lakshitha Madushan 33, Janith Silva 29, Dilan Soysa 29, Manjula de Zoysa 20: Malinga Bandara 4 for 28, Nilanka Premaratne 3 for 37)
Ragama CC 157 for 5 in 39.1 overs (Sameera de Zoysa 58, Nilushan Nonis 60 n.o.: Roshan Jayatissa 3 for 33)
At Moratuwa: CCC beat Saracens by 5 wickets
Saracens SC 136 for 9 in 36 overs (Umesh Karunaratne 55, Rajith Priyan 19, Ruvinda Shamen 20 n.o.: Arosh Janoda 3 for 8, Maduka Liyanapathiranage 2 for 17, Hasantha Fernando 2 for 24)
CCC 137 for 5 in 26.2 overs (Lasith Abeyratne 75, Hashan Dumindu 51: Umesh Karunaratne 3 for 33)
At NCC: Colts beat SLPA by 9 wickets
SLPA CC 145 in 42.1 overs (Mahela Udawatte 37, Isuru Udana 30, Dhananjaya de Silva 21, Sachithra Serasinghe 18, Gayshan Weerasekera 17: Sachith Pathirana 4 for 21, Anuk Fernando 2 for 17, Ishan Jayaratne 2 for 19)
Colts 147 for 1 in 28.4 overs (Shehan Jayasuriya 64, Kusal Perera 78 n.o.)