Centuries by Niroshan Dickwella and Kumar Sangakkara helped NCC recorded a comprehensive 84 (Duckworth and Lewis) run win over Bloomfield in their Premier Limited Over cricket match played at Maitland Place recently.
Opener Dickwella smashed a top score of 133 off 133 balls and shared an imposing 195 for the second wicket with Sangakkara who smashed a brisk 102 off 92 balls to help NCC batting first reach a mammoth 315 for 5 in their 50 overs.
When the bad light stop play, Bloomfield were reeling at 178 for seven in 37. 3 overs, 84 runs behind the Duckworth Lewis par score of 262.
Dickwella plundered 13 boundaries and four sixes in his impressive knock while in-form Sangakkara, scored 11 boundaries and three sixes in his masterful inning. The duo batted with such composure and total dominance as the bowlers were forced to toil hard for their wickets.
It was Dickwella’s fourth limited over century and the second highest domestic score. Sangakkara departed soon after he reached the triple figure mark Dickwella and Dinesh Chandimal (30) added a rapid 48 runs for the third wicket.
Chasing a huge total, Bloomfield started off well but regular wickets at key intervals hurt their chase as spinners Sohan Boralessa and Tharindu Kaushal impressed with the ball sharing five wickets between them.
Opener Dilshan Munaweera looked threatening with a 58-ball 62, but a middle order collapse put them clearly behind the par score. Dilhan Cooray also scored a valuable 41 down the order.
NCC 315 -5 (50.0) – ( Niroshan Dikwella 133, Kumar Sangakkara 102, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Nuwan Pradeep 2-58)
Bloomfield 178-7 (37.3) – (-Dilshan Munaweera 62, Dilhan Cooray 41, Sohan Boralessa 3-29, Tharindu Kaushal 2-25)
