CCC CLINCHES PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE IN STYLE
Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) clinched the SLC Premier League Tier ‘A’ title in style with a convincing five-wicket outright win against NCC in the deciding match which concluded at the Colts Grounds yesterday.
CCC in pursuit of a target of 290 runs were guided by Minod Bhanuka, Madawa Warnapura, Skipper Ashan Priyanjan and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Minod made a fine 85 in 106 balls that included six boundaries and two sixes while Madawa chipped in with a solid 56 that laid the foundation for their victory after having lost their first wicket at 23.
The pair also added 120 runs for the second-wicket and thereafter, Skipper Ashan was associated in two valuable partnerships.
He put on 56 runs for the fifth-wicket with Lasith Abeyratne and figured in an unbeaten 68-run stand for the sixthwicket with Wanindu Hasaranga.
CCC ended the tournament with a total of 88.32 points and clinched the Premier League title after a lapse of 12 years.
In the previous occasion they defeated SSC in the deciding match to win the title during the 2006/07 Inter-club season when the side was led by Nishitha Rupasinghe.
Meanwhile, Saracens SC put up a fine performance against Tamil Union with a first innings win to take the runners-up berth while the defending champions Chilaw Marians CC with their outright win over SSC ended up in the third slot and Colts CC finished in fourth place.
At Colts Grounds (CCC won by five wickets)
NCC: 411 and (243/4 overnight) 305 (Chathuranga de Silva 114, Pathum Nissanka 70, Lahiru Udara 50, Saranga Rajaguru 59 n.o, Wanindi Hasaranga 6/80, Malinda Pushpakumara 3/78)
CCC: 427 and 290/5 (Minod Bhanuka 85, Madawa Warnapura 56, Lasith Abeyratne 20, Ashan Priyanjan 60 n.o, Wanindu Hasaranga 48 n.o, Saranga Rajaguru 4/58).
At NCC Grounds (1st innings win for Saracens SC)
Tamil Union: 330 and 345/3 (Tharanga Paranavithana 175, Sachithra Serasinghe 124 n.o)
Saracens SC: 574/9 declared.
At P. Sara Oval (Chilaw Marians CC won by three wickets)
SSC: 374 and 265/9 declared (Kavindu Kulasekera 71, Dasun Randika 68, Nipun Dhananjaya 61, Tharindu Ratnayake 27 n.o, Sagar Paresh 5/107, Pulina Tharanga 3/42)
Chilaw Marians CC: 274 and (57/2 overnight) 368/7 (Nimesh Vimukthi 120, Yasoda Lanka 26, Dasun Seneviratne 23, Risith Upamal 112 n.o, Irosh Fernando 25 n.o, Himesh Ramanayake 3/29, Sachithra Senanayake 3/100).
At Katunayake (Colts CC won by 10 wickets)
Colts CC: 574/9 declared and 41/0 (Priyamal Perera 29 n.o)
Army SC: 168 and (210/3 overnight) 446 (Dilshan de Soysa 139, Asela Gunaratne 123, Himasha Liyanage 48, Seekkuge Prasanna 44, Dushan Vimukthi 40, Kaveesh Kumara 23, Nisala Tharaka 3/74, Priyamal Perera 2/14, Jehan Daniel 2/58, Praveen Jayawickrama 2/104).