SSC annexed the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) inter club Premier Limited Overs cricket tournament when they defeated the traditional rivals and neighbors the NCC by a convincing margin of 54 runs in the final encounter worked off at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
The SSC went on to pile up a formidable 278 runs for 9 wickets from their 50 overs having put into bat and then rallied around magnificently through their bowlers to dismiss the strong NCC batting line up for just 224 runs in 45.1 overs.
In fact the NCC were always on the back foot from the start of the innings following some hostile seam bowling from the medium paceman Charith Jayampathi who snapped up three vital wickets within the first ten overs of the match.
The former Sri Lanka youth cap removed both openers wicket keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella and the prize scalp of skipper Upul Tharanga to leave the NCC struggling at 24 for 2 wickets in the seventh over of the innings.
This was a huge morale victory for the SSC at the early stage of the innings considering the fact that both Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga have been in tremendous form throughout the season with some big scores under their belt.
However Charith Jayampathi was able to produce something extra ordinary with his remarkable pace and swing and also went on to pick up the wicket of Sandun weerakkody cheaply to leave the opposition in more trouble at 44 for 3 in the eleventh over of the innings.
Even then the NCC were not prepared to surrender without a fight and they certainly brought some concern to the opposition through the fourth wicket pair of Lahiru Udara and Jehan Mubarak who put on 71 useful runs.
Udara steadied the innings while stroking just a solitary boundary during his knock of 42 while Mubarak went on to complete a solid half century from seventy deliveries inclusive of three sixes and there fours.
Mubarak kept NCC’s hopes alive to a great extent and also figured in a fifth wicket partnership of 44 runs along with all rounder Farveez Maharoof who smashed a 26 ball 29 studded with three boundaries.
However thereafter the NCC lost their way somewhat and failed to consolidate their position with skipper Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Dhammika Prasad adding the finishing touches by claiming two wickets each.
Earlier the SSC rallied around through a superb half century from Chamara Kapugedera to compile a match winning total of 278 runs for 9 wickets from their 50 overs.
The dashing middle order batsman hammered a top score of 70 runs from just 57 deliveries inclusive of three sixes and seven boundaries with the back up support coming from the openers Vishwa Wijeratne, Dhanushka Gunathilake and Thilina Kandamby.
SSC: 278-9 in 50 overs (Vishwa Wijeratne 49, Dhanushka Gunathilake 44, Chamara Kapugedera 70, Thilina Kandamby 34, Dhammika Prasad 26 n. o, Farveez Maharoof 3/38, Sohan Boralessa 3/57)
NCC: 224 in 45.1 overs (Lahiru Udara 42, Jehan Mubarak 55, Farveez Maharoof 29, Lahiru Madushanka 29, Charith Jayampathi 4/49, Kaushal Lokuarachchi 2/49, Dhammika Prasad 2/29)
