Cricket: Colts meet NCC in AIA Premier L/O final on Wednesday

Colts, the current title holders, will take on NCC in the final of the AIA Premier Inter-Club Limited Overs Cricket Tournament final, which will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday (30). 

Both Colts and NCC were featured in Group ‘A’ and finished first and second respectively with two wins each from six games. 

Both teams finished four games in no results but Colts took the lead with a better tally of 18 points, one point ahead of NCC. 

Rain became a real spoiler of the tournament where half of the total games being subjected to end as no results or forced to abandon without a ball being bowled. 

Colts met Bloomfield while NCC met their traditional rivals SSC in the semi-final stage. 

Colts became the first team to reach the final when they beat Bloomfield comfortably by 5 wickets in the first semi-final played last Wednesday (23). 

Electing to bowl, Colts curled up Bloomfield for 133 in 42 overs with left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in List ‘A’ cricket. 

Wicketkeeper/batsman Deshan Dias top scored for Bloomfield with a 67-ball 41 while others failed to impress with their bats besides Nipun Karunanayake (29) and Dilhan Cooray (22). 

Jayasuriya was well supported by Akila Dhananjaya and Ishan Jayaratne, who picked two wickets apiece. 

Colts reached the target losing five wickets, with 134 deliveries to spare as Shehan Fernando emerged as the top scorer for them with a 39-ball 37. 

Angelo Jayasinghe faced 35 deliveries for his 30 while Priyamal Perera remained unbeaten on 22 off 26 when they reached the winning post. 

The following day (24) NCC took on traditional rivals SSC, who had an overwhelming record of four wins out of six games with two matches ending in No Results. 

SSC was one of the strongest sides to feature in this year’s competition as they ended up on top of the list in Group ‘B’ ahead of Bloomfield. 

Unfortunately they had to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of NCC who recorded a comfortable 121-run win to secure the remaining berth in the final to play against Colts. 

Invited to bat first NCC reached 208 before having the entire side back in the dressing room with 10 deliveries remaining and were facing a possible defeat. 

Sandun Weerakkody top scored with a knock of 44 off 53 deliveries while Nimesha Gunasinghe (39), Angelo Perera (33), Jehan Mubarak (23) and Farveez Maharoof (22) chipping in with useful knocks. 

Dilhara Fernando picked five wickets for SSC, who were totally undone by the left-arm spins of Chamikara Edirisinghe. 

Edirisinghe bagged six wickets as SSC succumbed to a total of 87 with 23.5 overs to go. 

Kasun Madushanka was the top scorer for SSC with a knock of 16 off eight deliveries. 

Jehan Mubarak supported Edirisinghe with three wickets, to help NCC record a smashing win. 

In the first round Colts beat Ragama CC by 6 wickets and beat SLPA by 5 wickets before registering their third win of the competition in the semi-final stage. 

The matches against CCC, Saracens, NCC and Tamil Union ended in No Results. 

NCC beat Ragama CC by 7 wickets and Tamil Union by 39 runs on Duckworth/Lewis Method as their games against Colts, CCC, SLPA and Saracens ended in No Result. 

Their third win, as Colts, came in the semi-final stage against SSC. Going by statistics both teams possess the same strength but outcomes by both sides give very little to make out about the finalists. 

The kick off of the tournament was postponed twice due continuous rainy weather prompting Sri Lanka Cricket to reschedule for November 27. 

The tournament, sponsored by AIA Insurance for the first time, will featured 44 games including the two semi-finals with the final to be played on December 30. 

The tournament did not include some of the top players, who are on national duty in New Zealand and the eight players -- seven centrally-contracted and one non-contracted -- who signed up with the Bangladesh Premier League, from November 22 to December 15, have made their return. 

Interestingly 22 of the 44 games played so far have ended in No Results – even the first round match between Colts and NCC, which was the third game of the tournament. 

Wednesday (30) will be the day for both teams to settle out the unfinished game to determine who possesses the real strength. 

The tournament featured 14 top clubs with seven each being slotted into two groups. 

However only Colts and NCC managed to make it to the finale outsmarting Ragama CC, Colombo CC, Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA), Saracens SC, Tamil Union, Sinhalese SC, Moors SC, Army SC, Bloomfield, Badureliya SC, Chilaw Marians and Galle CC. 

Last season Colts beat SSC last season to win the title. 

Colts: Sadeera Samarawickrama, Shehan Fernando, Hashan Dumindu, Shehan Jayasuriya, Angelo Jayasinghe, Priyamal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Sanka Ramesh, Ishan Jayaratne (Capt), Akila Dhananjaya, Prabath Jayasuriya. 

NCC: Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Sandun Weerakkody, Nimesha Gunasinghe, Jehan Mubarak, Angelo Perera, Farveez Maharoof (Capt), Isuru Udana, Anuk Fernando, Tharindu Kaushal, Chamikara Edirisinghe.