By Srian Obeyesekere

Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) defeated Tamil Union C&AC by 68 runs yesterday on a score of 309 for 7 in a contest which at one point their opponents were in the game on 3 for 151 after 23.2 overs before collapsing in the second day-night semi-final of the Sri Lanka Cricket driven 2025 Major Clubs 50-Over Limited Overs Championship played at the CCC Grounds to set up a final versus Police SC on Wednesday under floodlights at the same venue.

Put in to bat CCC made the most of it amassing 309 for 7 wickets in the allotted 50 overs having recovered from 4 for 99 into 19.3 overs, thanks to a match turning 86-run fifth wicket partnership between skipper Sonal Dinusha who was unbeaten on 83 off 72 balls with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes, and Pavan Rathnayake 63 off 75 with 6 boundaries and 2 over the top as the duo dug in rock solid fresh from century making exploits for Sri Lanka A in the recent away unofficial test series versus Australia A.

Sahan Kosala joined Dinusha in adding 73 for the sixth wicket after Rathnayake was dismissed by Vihas Thewmika who had him caught by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and by the time Kosala was sixth out with the score 258 after 45.3 overs, CCC had made strong headway towards a 300-plus total with Sonal Dinusha ensuring they did staying to the end.

Young spin prodigy Vijayakanth Viyaskanth claimed 4 wickets for 52 and pacer Lahiru Samarakoon 2 for 46 having made early inroads when he dismissed Lasith Croospulle leg before wicket for 2 and Dhananjaya de Silva for 14 caught by Shanmuganathan for 14 while Viyaskanth proceeded to clean bowl Nishan Madushka for 36 and removed Kamindu Mendis for 26 caught by substitute fielder S.T.S. Senarath to reducing CCC to 99 for 4 after 19.3 overs.

But that was as far as Tamil Union got with Dinusha and Rathnayake shifting the scales CCCs way as their opponents were dismissed for 241 by the first ball of the 42nd over in a contest that wicket-keeper opening batsman Sithara Hapuhinna with a solid run a ball 76 striking 3 to the stands and 8 to the ropes and Sri Lanka U19 prodigy Sharujan Shanmuganathan 56 off 59 with 5 boundaries kept their side in the game in adding 117 for the third wicket after 23.2 overs in lifting Tamil Union from 2 for 34 when they lost Sineth Jayawardena for 19 to Vishva Fernando who had him caught by Kosala with the score 33 after 3.5 overs and skipper Minod Bhanuka fell for a first ball duck also to Fernando in identical fashion caught by Kosala making it 34 for 2 after 4 overs. With both Hapuhina and Shanmuganatha falling in quick succession, the opener caught by Croospulle off Chamindu Wijesinghe and the latter caught by Dhananjaya de Silva off Kamindu Mendis Tamil Union were 164 for 4 jut past the halfway mark after 26.4 overs, but yet on an even keel to making it. But they lacked the firepower from there onwards with only Bhanuka Rajapaksa getting a substantial run a ball 31 as the rest wilted with Kamindu Mendis finishing with figures of 4 for 43 and upfront quicks Vishwa Fernando 2 for 40 and Nuwan Thushara 2 for 41 in finishing it off in 41.1 overs.

Chief Scores

CCC 309/7 50 Overs
Sonal Dinusha n.o. 83, Pavan Rathnayake 63, Sahan Kosala 48, Nishan Madushka 36, Kamindu Mendis 26, Dhananjaya de Silva 14, Nishan Peiris n.o. 14, Vijayaskanth Viyaskanth 4/52, Lahiru Samarakoon 2/46, Vihas Thewmika 1/44.

Tamil Union C&AC 241 41.1 Overs
Sithara Hapuhinna 76, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 56, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 31, Sineth Jayawardena 19, Vihas Thewmika 15, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth 14, Tharindu Rathnayake 12, Kamindu Mendis 4/43, Vishwa Fernando 2/40, Nuwan Thushara 2/41, Chamindu Wijesinghe 1/46.