SSC and NCC set up final on Sunday
SLC PREMIER INTER-CLUB 50-OVER TOURNAMENT
SSC and NCC will meet in the final of the Sri Lanka Cricket Premier Inter-Club 50-Over Tournament on Sunday following semi-final wins over Chilaw Marians CC and Saracens SC respectively on Friday.
Both were cakewalk wins with SSC beating Chilaw Marians by 8 wickets and NCC ousting Saracens by 89 runs.
At the Colts Grounds, SSC enjoyed a stroll in the park with a 8-wicket win over Chilaw Marians CC. SSC continued in the same rollercoaster fashion that fetched a quarter final triumph by a similar margin over Ragama CC. Having shot out the strong Chilaw Marians for 138 in 41.1 overs, SSC finished it off on 140 for 2 wickets off 23.5 overs. Sri Lankan opener Dhanushka Gunathilaka fired an unbeaten 78 off 70 balls packed with 6 boundaries and 4 sixes. He shared in an unbroken third wicket alliance of 62 with Dasun Shanaka who was on 26 off 30 containing 2 boundaries and a six.
Having put Chilaw Marians in to bat, SSC’s bowlers were dead on target dismantling the opposition to 4 for 67 by the 15th over. The Marians had no clues with former Sri Lanka pace bowler Dhammika Prasad, Sachithra Senanayake, Dasun Shanaka and Jeffrey Vandersay chipping with 2 wickets each. Oshada Fernando top scored for the Chilaw Marians with 43 off 86 with 3 boundaries.
Meanwhile, NCC powered to 327 for 5 in 50 overs on a fiery knock of 110 by former Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella off 132 balls inclusive of 9 boundaries at the Chilaw Marians Grounds, Katunayake. He shared in a 108-run opening partnership with Upul Tharanga who made 56 (70b, with 5×4, 2×4) in 27 overs, and a further 117 for the third wicket with skipper Angelo Perera 41 (34b, 2×4, 2×6). Dickwella was third out, with the total on 245 in 44.2 overs. Other main run getters were Mahela Udawatte 50 (28b, 8×4) and Chathuranga de Silva 58 (22b, 8×4, 2×6) with the pair posting 81 for the fourth wicket.
Saracens found the 300-plus target too much to cope with and slipped to 62 for 3 wickets and caved in despite partially recovering to 205 for 6 in 37.5 overs. Top scorer was K.N.A. Bandara with 51 off 69 with 5 boundaries. Lasith Malinga, Dushmantha Chameera and Farveez Maharoof claimed 2 wickets apiece.
Chief Scores:
At Colts Grounds – SSC beat Chilaw Marians CC by 8 wickets
Chilaw Marians CC 138 (41.1 Overs)
B.O.P. Fernando 43, S. Jayasuriya 25, S. Senanayake 2/16, D. Prasad 2/23, D. Shanaka 2/27).
SSC 140/2 (23.5 Overs)
(D. Gunathilaka n.o. 78, D. Shanaka n.o. 26, D. Karunaratne 17)
At FTZ Complex, Katunayake:
NCC 327/5 (50 Overs)
(N. Dickwella 110, U. Tharanga 56, A. Perera 41, M. Udawatte 50 P. C. de Silva 58, A.D. Solomons 2/71, S.K.C. Randunu 2/65).
Saracens SC 238 (43.3 Overs(K.N.A. Bandara 51, R. Gunasekera 30, K.V.N. Nirmal 30, P.A.S.S. Jeewantha 25, D.K. Jayatissa 22, A.d. Solomons 22, F. Maharoof 2/36, D. Chameera 2/41, L. Malinga 2/51,).
By Srian Obeyesekere
