SLC MAJOR LEAGUE TIER ‘A’ PLATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Chasing a victory target of 200, Tamil Union C &AC were 20 for 1 wicket in 8 overs in their Plate Championship match against Moors SC at the end of the second day’s play at the Tyronne Fernando Stadium, Moratuwa.
Tamil Union, continuing from an overnight 37 for 3 were dismissed for 178 giving Moors a first innings lead of 28 runs. Tamil Union owed much to their inform all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva who rescued his side from a shaky 4 for 38 with an authoritative unbeaten 95 significant of which was the copybook right hander’s fearless approach to using his feet and playing the ball on its merits. This has largely been the cornerstone of Dhananjaya’s batting that has thrust him to the forefront of recognition as a leading batsman for his club and country. His 104-ball knock was packed with 4 sixes and 6 hits to the ropes as wickets toppled around him becaming the cornerstone of keeping his side’s hopes alive following his superb haul of 7 for 59 and 5 for 50 in bowling out Moors SC for 171 in the second innings for a match bag of 12 for 109.
Indeed, it was a tremendous performance by Dhananjaya and going by the form he is in he is the playmaker center piece to Tamil Union wiping out the 180 runs deficit for victory on the third and final day. As it was he accounted for three of Moors frontline batsmen and followed it up by getting rid of both No.8 Ayana Siriwardena who scored a plucky 42 off 38 (4×6, 3×4) and No.9 Kavishka Anjula who scored an useful 43 (3×6, 1×4). off 69 hitting 3 sixes and a boundary. lifting his side from a shaky 101 for 7. Upfront skipper Pabasara Waduge top scored a run a ball 44 with 3 boundaries and a six.
AT TYRONNE FERNANDO STADIUM, MORATUWA:
Moors SC 206 (71.2 Overs) RR: 2.88
(Nipun Karunanayake 44, Dinuka Dilshan 43, Dhananjaya de Silva 7/59)
And 171 (46.1 Overs) RR: 3.7
(P. Waduge 44, A. Siriwardena 42, K. Anjula 43, D.M. de Silva 5/50, S. Pathiranage 2/54)
TAMIL UNION C&AC 178 (O/N 37/3) (52 Overs) RR: 3.42
(D.M. de Silva 95, D.M Sarathchandra 19, Ranmith Jayasena 18, I. Udana 15,
R.T.M. Mendis 3/39)
And 20/1 (8 Overs) RR: 2.5
(Y. Mendis n.o. 7, N.T. Paranavitana n.o. 7)
SKIPPER CHANAKA RUWANSIRI SECOND SUCCESSIVE TON 151 N.O., LANKAN CC 308
Lankan CC skipper Chanaka Ruwansiri struck his second successive century in two weeks clobbering an unbeaten 151 off just 84 balls hitting 15 boundaries and 7 sixes as his side ended the day on 308 for 5 in reply to SSC’s 332 at at the Colts CC Grounds. Resuming from the overnight score of 14 for no loss, Lankan CC slipped to 74 for 3 when Ruwansiri, who struck 124 against Negombo CC in a lost cause, joined Geeth Kumara who made 60 (193 bs, 5×4) sharing in a mammoth 209-run fourth wicket alliance.
AT COLTS CC GROUNDS:
SSC 332 (76.2 Overs) RR: 4.34
(D. Shanaka 112, S. Ashan 54, C. Ruwansiri 3/53, C.M.K.K. Wijerathne 3/93,
D.N. Wellalage 3/97)
LANKAN CC 308/5 (O/N 14/0) (93 Overs) RR: 3.31
(L.A.C. Ruwansiri n.o. 151, H.G. Kumara 60, K.K.V. Perera 3/41, J.D.F. Vandersay
2/93)
NEGOMBO CC 328/7, MUNAWEERA 91, WARNAPURA N.O. 72, JAYASINGHE 66
Negombo CC, fresh from victory against Lankan CC last week, rattled 328 for 7 for a lead of 61 runs over Badureliya SC on the second day at the NCC grounds.
Resuming from an overnight 20 for no loss, Negombo CC’s hard hitting skipper Dilshan Munaweera came to the party after the dismissal of Sheshan Fernando for 12 with no addition to the overnight score and set about collaring the Badureliya attack to the tune of 91 runs off 144 balls inclusive of 8 boundaries and 2 sixes. He was associated in a 122-run partnership for the third wicket with Angelo Jayasinghe who made 66 off 96 with 7 boundaries. Following Munaweera’s dismissal with the total on 214, last week’s match winners Madhawa Warnapura and Roscoe Thattil posted 77 for the fifth wicket. Warnapura remained unbeaten on 72 off 118 balls hitting 8 boundaries while Thattil made 33 off 80 with 2 boundaries.
AT NCC GROUNDS
BADURELIYA SC 267 (84.5 Overs) RR: 3.14
(Dunith Jayatunga 57 129 4 1, M.S.U. Perera 51 81 5, Damith Perera
43 77 7, Tillakaratne Sampath 28, Yashodha
Lanka 22, SADU Indrasiri 5/65, A.L. Rasanjana 3/65)
NEGOMBO CC 328/7 (O/N 20/0) 92.5 Overs RR:3.53
(E.M.D.Y. Munaweera 91, M.S. Warnapura n.o. 72, A.J.A.D.D.L.A. Jayasinghe
66, R.P. Thattil 33, W.A.A.M. Silva 30, P.S.U. Fernando 12, A.L. Rasanjana 12,
M.A.D.I. Hemantha 3/61, B.B. Sanjeewa 2/84 )