Cricket: Chilaw Marians, Ragama CC take top slots in Tier 'A'

The conclusion of the league matches of the Premier League Inter-Club Cricket Tournament Tier 'A' saw Chilaw Marians and Ragama CC coming out on top as leaders of the two groups. 

The tournament contested by 14 teams divided into two groups of seven in each was closely contested with Chilaw Marians ending as the top team in Group A and Ragama CC in the Group B. 

Chilaw Marians who did not have a good season last year had the most successful finish as they ended the league stint with four outright wins which was the most by the 14 teams that contested against Badureliya SC by innings and 291 runs, Galle CC by 231 runs, SSC by 34 runs and Bloomfield by a massive 378 runs but they have undergone an outright defeat to Tamil Union by six wickets. 

Second and third placed SSC and Tamil Union recorded two outright wins followed by NCC with one win and Badureliya SC though securing two outright wins was placed fifth while Bloomfield and Galle CC were unable to chalk any outright wins. 

Ragama CC the Group 'B' leaders was able to record only two outright wins which were against Moors SC and BRC while CCC and Colts CC the second and third placed teams secured a win each. 

The top four teams of the two groups Chilaw Marians, SSC, Tamil Union and NCC from Group 'A' along with Ragama CC, CCC, Colts CC and Army SC qualified to play in the Super 8 Championship while the remaining three teams from the two groups will battle it for the Plate title. 

There were nine batsmen reached the over 500 run mark, namely Nipun Karunanayake (Bloomfield), Shehan Jayasuriya (Chilaw Marians), Sadeera Samarawickrama (Colts), Mahela Udawatte (Chilaw Marians), Angelo Perera (NCC), Lahiru Jayakody (Bloomfield), Niroshan Dickwella (NCC), Ron Chandragupta (CCC) and Irosh Samarasooriya (Saracens SC). 

The top five bowlers were Malinda Pushpakumara (Chilaw Marians), Alankara Asanka (Badureliya SC), Amila Aponso (Ragama CC), Dinuka Hettiarachchi (BRC) and Malith de Silva (Bloomfield). 

CCC had the honour of making the highest score of 560 against Moors SC while two other teams to make over 500 runs were Chilaw Marians who made 552 for 8 against Galle CC and SSC 503 against Tamil Union.