The all important final of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Major Limited Over Tournament concluded on Sunday, with the much fancied SSC unit clinching the title.
Dinesh Chandimal’s welcome return to form guided NCC to a challenging total but he didn’t get enough support from the batsmen around him. Chandimal was the ninth man out for a well constructed 103 but NCC failed to bat their quota of 50 overs being dismissed with ten balls to spare for 236.
Read : NCC, SSC, Chilaw & Saracens book semifinal berths
It was a sticky wicket at the SSC and the hosts won the toss and elected to field first as their bowlers looked up for the task. They kept picking wickets at regular intervals as Chandimal continued to hold one end up. Thisara Perera was impressive picking up 2/42 along with Jefferey Vandersay who also picked up 2/34 but it was the discarded Sri Lanka cap Dhammika Prasad who impressed the most with 3/42.
The run chase was always going to be a difficult one after how the wicket played in the first session, but Sri Lanka’s shorter format specialist Danushka Gunathilaka seemed to be batting on a different track to his other team mates. SSC lost a couple relatively early wickets in Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva but an 88 run partnership for the third wicket between Gunathilaka and Dasun Shanaka(26) got them closer to the target.
Shanaka was dismissed but Gunathilaka went on to make a match winning 119 before he was dismissed with a further 31 runs needed for victory. It was Thisara Perera’s turn then to light up the SSC ground as he hit a 9 ball unbeaten 19* along with Charith Asalanka who made a sedate 27* to get them home with four wickets and 4.1 overs to spare.
Match Replay – SLC Major Limited Overs Tournament – Final – SSC vs NCC
The win means that SSC secured the Limited Over title while NCC ended as runners up after clinching the T20 tournament a few weeks back. Chilaw Marians were the undisputed champions of the League Tournament as the club cricket season in Sri Lanka came to an end today(25).
Nondescripts Cricket Club 236 (48.2) Dinesh Chandimal 103, Niroshan Dickwella 33, Angelo Perera 21, Mahela Udawatta 20, Thisara Perera 2/42, Jeffrey Vandersay 2/34, Dhammika Prasad 3/42
Sinhalese Sports Club 239/6 (45.5) Danushka Gunathilaka 119, Charith Asalanka 27*, Dasun Shanaka 26, Sachintha Pieris 2/42, Dushmantha Chameera 3/41
 Major Limited Over Tournament concluded today(25), with the much fancied SSC unit clinching the title.){kind=link}