NCC worthy Champs by 7 runs over CCC

SLC INTER-CLUB T20 TOURNAMENT

NCC emerged champions of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) T20 Inter-Club Tournament defeating CCC by 7 runs in a close final at the P. Saravanamuththu Stadium today.

Batting first, NCC totaled an imposing 183 for 7 wickets in 20 overs with opening batsman Banuka Rajapaksa firing 79 off 51 balls and Mahela Udawatte 68 off 50. CCC was all out for 177 in 19.3 overs on a top score of 47 off 26 by Sachith Pathirana, and 42 off 27 by Wanidu Hasaranga. .

Following their semi-final routing of Army the previous day on a Lasith Malinga 3-wicket crunch match performance, NCC continued to play like champions. Upfront the 26-year old former Royalist Banuka Rajapaksa set the tempo laced in a sixes spree hoisting 5 over the top and 6 to the fence. Following a shaky start of 2 wickets for 7 runs, Rajapaksa paired in a 126-run third wicket alliance with Mahela Udawatte who clouted 4 boundaries and 3 sixes. Pick of the bowlers for CCC was N. Thushara with 4 for 32.

CCC overcame the early loss of Dilshan Munaweera with the score on 4 with Sachith Pathirana posting 78 runs for the second wicket with Ashan Priyanjan who made 29 off 24 balls hitting 2 boundaries and a six. But a collapse to 5 for 92 ensued when 20-year old Wanidu Hasaranga, the former Sri Lanka player staged a valiant fightback striking 42 off 27 containing 2 boundaries and 3 sixes. It raised victory hopes for CCC as he took the total to 165 for 6 when L.D. Madushanka fell for 19 off 14 the duo having put on 63 runs for the sixth wicket. CCC continued to resist going within 7 runs of victory when Chamila Karunaratne got rid of last man P.L.S. Gamage. It rounded off a fine performance by Karunaratne who reaped fine figures of 4 for 28. C.B.R.L. Kumara picked 3 for 31.

Chief Scores:

NCC 183/7 (20 overs)

(P.B.B. Rajapaksa 79, M.L. Udawatte 68, P.C. de Silva 15, N. Thushara 4/32).

CCC 177 (19.3 overs)

 (S.S. Pathirana 47, P.W.H. de Silva 42, S.M.A. Priyanjan 29, C. Karunaratne 4/28, C.B.R.L.S. Kumara 3/31).

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket