Moors Sports Club piled up a massive 420 for 9 in their first innings on the opening day of their SLC Premier League cricket tournament match against Baduraliya CC which commenced at Braybrooke Place today.
The hero for Moors SC was their captain Janaka Gunaratne who hit a sparkling 147 runs from just 157 deliveries inclusive of five sixes and eighteen boundaries.
The elegant middle order batsman rescued the team from a middle order collapse while putting on three major partnerships after they had won the toss and elected to bat first.
He first set the pace by adding 86 runs for the fifth wicket along with all rounder Dilhara Lokuhettige and then consolidated their position with a 78 run stand for the sixth wicket together with Imraff Raffi.
However the best batting for Moors SC came when wicket keeper batsman Suresh Niroshan joined his skipper and the pair really tore the Baduraliya CC bowling while adding a superb 121 runs for the eighth wicket.
Moors SC then struck two early blows when Baduraliya CC started their innings to leave their opponents struggling 48 for 2 at stumps with Dilhara Lokuhettige and Malinda Pushpakumara claiming a wicket each.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka Ports Authority CC also had a splendid opening day as they rattled up a formidable 327 for 4 wickets in their first innings against Panadura SC at the Panadura Esplanade.
Their innings was built around two magnificent centuries from Gayashan Weerasekera and Sachithra Serasinghe who were involved in a huge 210 run partnership for the fourth wicket after they were put into bat by the opposition.
Weerasekera was in contention for a double hundred as he reached 173 not out from 273 deliveries having struck a total of 29 boundaries while Serasinghe was dismissed exactly for one hundred runs which included one six and ten boundaries.
Ragama CC also produced a centurion in the form of Ian Daniel as they reached an impressive 312 for 6 wickets in their first innings against Tamil Union at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo.
The stylish middle order batsman hit a chanceless 142 runs from 231 deliveries with the help of one six and 19 boundaries and also put on 111 runs for the third wicket together with Nilushan Nonis.
The SSC put up a pleasing performance on the field to dismiss their opponents Chilaw Marians CC for a modest 208 runs in their first innings on their home ground at Maitland Place.
Former Sri Lanka opening bowler Dilhara Fernando had a fine outing as he ripped through the Chilaw Marians CC middle order with a four wicket burst while Dhammika Prasad, Sachithra Senanayake and Danushka Gunathilake captured two wickets each.
The CCC after been bowled out for just 173 runs staged a superb fight back to reduce their opponents Sri Lanka Army SC to 132 for 7 in their encounter worked off at Maitland Crescent.
Left arm spinner Lakshan Rangika led the way while returning excellent figures of five wickets for 37 to put Army SC on the back foot after they had made a promising start through Rishan Kavinga and Mohamed Feshal.
Earlier Chatura Damith snapped up four wickets for 50 runs to help Army SC skittle out CCC for a modest 173 runs after they had won the toss and elected to bat first.
In contrast the NCC were well set to snatch first innings points after they reached an impressive 144 for 3 wickets after having bowled out Sri Lanka Air Force SC for 196 runs in their match which began at Maitland Place.
Spinners Sohan Boraless and Dushmantha Sameera did the damage while sharing seven wickets between them and the home side then consolidated their position through some good batting from opener Niroshan Dickwella, Jehan Mubarak and Angelo Perera.
