Cricket: Chilaw Marians and CCC in the lead in Premier League Tier 'A'

The Premier League domestic inter-club cricket tournament is in full swing and has reached the halfway stage now most the teams having played half of the six matches that they are scheduled to complete. 

The tournament contested by 14 teams divided into two groups of seven in each is being closely contested with Chilaw Marians being in the lead in Group A and CCC in the Group B. 

Chilaw Marians who did not have a good season last year are also going great guns this time having won secured two outright wins against Badureliya SC by innings and 291 runs and Galle CC by 231 runs but they suffered an outright defeat at the hands of Tamil Union by six wickets and a first inning loss to NCC from the four matches that they have played so far. 

Close on their heels is NCC who has played three matches with an outright win against Bloomfield by nine wickets and two first innings wins over Chilaw Marians and traditional rivals and neighbours SSC. 

They are followed by Tamil Union who has two outright wins against Chilaw Marians and Badureliya SC, SSC, Bloomfield, Galle CC and Badureliya SC. 

CCC the Group B leaders and Ragama CC are in a close tussle with the two teams having an outright win each and two first inning wins from the three matches they have played. 

CCC recorded an outright win by 109 runs against Saracens SC whilst securing first inning wins against Army SC and Colts CC while Ragama CC’s outright win was against Moors SC by ten wickets and first inning wins over Saracens SC and Army SC. 

Third placed Colts CC is the other team to gain an outright win in this group against Moors SC by innings and 77 runs. 

The trio is followed by Army SC, Moors SC, Saracens SC and the promoted team to the top BRC. 

Irosh Samarasooriya of Moors SC leads the batting having scored 425 runs from the four matches with a top score of 110. 

In second place is Sandun Weerakkody of NCC (398) which includes two tons and two half tons followed by Chilaw Marians skipper Mahela Udawatte (379), Primosh Perera (378), Dhanushka Gunatilleke (377) with two tons and Niroshan Dickwella (377) of NCC. 

Malinda Pushpakumara of Chilaw Marians leads the bowling with the left arm spinner having so far taken 38 wickets with a best of 6 for 41. 

Alankara Asanka of Badureliya SC is in second place with 33 wickets followed by Dinuka Hettiarachchi (25) of BRC, Amila Aponso of Ragama CC, Jeevan Mendis from Tamil Union and Malith de Silva of Bloomfield all with 22 wickets each. 

Group ‘A’ table leaders Chilaw Marians has the honour of making the highest score so far of 552 for 8 declared against Galle CC while SSC too has passed the 500 run mark by achieving 502 against Tamil Union. 

The league matches are scheduled to end on January 16, 2017 after which the top four teams from both the groups will qualify to the Super Eight tournament which is scheduled to get underway from January 20, 2017 and will be played over four days. 

The bottom three teams of the two groups will contest in the Plate Championship and that too is due to get underway from January 20, 2017. 

The Super eight tournament will come to end on February 16, 2017 and the Plate tournament on February 7, 2017.