The 2015/16 domestic cricket season in Sri Lanka got underway on Friday with the season opening match between Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club and Colombo Cricket Club in the AIA Premier Limited Overs Tournament at Maitland Crescent.
Experienced Shanuka Dissanayake and Anuk De Alwis starred with both bat and ball for Ports Authority as they defeated the hosts’ by 33 runs according to D/L method.
CCC skipper Sachith Pathirana won the toss and elected to field first. Young opener Lasith Lakshan on his debut played a solid knock of 26 but wickets fell at regular intervals for the visitors. Left-arm spin duo of Pathirana and Lakshan Rangika Sandaken troubled the batsmen through their consistency and flight as they picked up two wickets each.
Left-handed wicket-keeper batsman Gayan Maneeshan became the joint top-scorer alongside Anuk De Alwis (30 each) which propelled the Ports Authority score to a reasonable 199 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs. Shanuka Dissanayake and Madushanka Ekanayake chipped in with 26 and 22* respectively.
Chasing 200 runs to win, CCC lost their left-handed opener Damith Priyadharshana early on but former Peterite skipper Hans Fernando 25 to steer them in the first 10 overs. The introduction of spin hurt the home team as their middle order failed to contribute apart of Chathuranga Kumara’s 29 and Andy Solomons unbeaten 39.
Left-arm spinner Dissanayake was the chief destroyer taking 3 wickets for 30 runs in his spell of 10 overs. De Alwis bowled economically to pick up 1 wicket for 37 runs.
CCC were 33 runs behind the D/L target when bad light intervened play.
SL Ports Authority – 199/9 in 50 overs: Lasith Lakshan 26, Shanuka Dissanayake 26, Gayan Maneeshan 30, Anuk De Alwis 30*, Madushanka Ekanayake 22*, Thilina Thushara 2/35, Sachith Pathirana 2/37, Lakshan Sandaken 2/34.
CCC – 160/9 in 42.4 overs: Hans Fernando 25, Chathuranga Kumara 29, Andy Solomons 39*, Shanuka Dissanayake 3/30, Chaminda Bandara 2/40.
