Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga made amends to a poor stint with the national team hammering a swashbuckling 205 not out for NCC against Chilaw Marians
Left-handed all rounder Jeevan Mendis is just four runs short of a deserving double ton against CCC were the highlight on day one of the Premier League cricket tournament matches commenced yesterday. Left handed Tharanga batted through the innings facing 266 deliveries for his unfinished knock before NCC decided to declare at 405 for 6 in the first innings. An inning of class, Tharanga blasted 17 boundaries and three sixes and was well supported by young Angelo Perera with yet another impressive performance with the bat. The former Peterite cricketer made a 96 ball 87 with three sixes and nine boundaries.
On the other-hand Mendis, the ever-reliable middle order bat, playing at number three anchored the Tamil Union innings as they amassed 395 for 5 at stumps on day one. The left-handed former Thomian cricketer hit 19 boundaries and three sixes and shared 174 runs for the 5th wicket with Kithruwan Withanage. Withanage made 85.
Madawa Warnapura of Bloomfield and Rukshan Weerasinghe of Saracens were the other two centurions on day one. Warnapura made a 190 ball 125 with 17 boundaries and shared 159 for the third wicket with Nipun Karunanayake who made 69 not out as Bloomfield reached a healthy 231 for three at stumps. Ho Weerasinghe who made 127 shared a 195 runs for the third wicket with Lasith Abeyratne who was on unbeaten 99 at stumps as Saracens made an imposing first day total of 322 for 6.
The biggest disappointment however was from the SSC cricketers who were precariously placed at 45 for the loss of six wickets against Baduraliya SC. Having made 227 in the first innings, right arm pacer Saliya Jeewantha ran through the star-studded SSC innings claiming a career best 6 for 21 in five overs including a hat-trick in his first over. After dismissing opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 4 runs in his second ball, trapped Kausal Silva leg before in the next ball for a duck while skipper Thilina Kandamby offered simple catch in the next ball. Milinda Siriwardene claimed a five wicket (5 for 37) haul on day one for Ragama against Moors while Colts spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon finished with five for 59 against Lankan CC. Off-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna captured six for 45 against Panadura SC. Sailor Nisthantha Weerakkody was at his brilliant best against Galle CC with a 5 for 10 runs, his best match figures.
At Panadura
Army 172 (Seekuge Prasanna 39, Sulan Jayawardene 37, Gayan Sirisoma 3-36, Amila Perera 3-52, Dilruwan Perera 2-23, chathura Peiris 2-26 )
Panadura SC 121 ( Dilruwan Perera 31, Chamara Silva 25, Seekuge Prasanna 6-45, Ravindra Palleguruge 3-18 )
At NCC
NCC 405-6 dec (Upul Tharanga 205 not out , Angelo Perera 87, Kosala Kulasekara 43, Umesh Karunarathne 2-107)
Chilaw 21-1
At Welagedara, Kurunegala
Kurungela Youth CC 171 ( Noor Ul Haq 35, Priyanthaka Dharmapala 29, Chaminda Bandara 3-34, Sanitha de Mel 3-30, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara 2-29 )
Port Authority 185-2 ( Kanishka Alavitigala 73, Yohan De Silva 54 )
At R PRemadasa
Moors 195 ( Janaka Gunarathne 52, Malinda Pushpakumara 26, Nipuna Kariyawasam 27, Milinda Siriwardane 5-37, Shalika Karunanayake 3-42)
Ragama CC 104-3 (Michael Vandort 39 n.o,Dananjaya De Silva 21)
At SSC
Badureliya 227 ( Pabasara Waduge 59, Mapa Bandara 50, Kasun Madushanka 4-39, Sachithra Senanayake 3-72, Charith Jayampathi 2-40 )
SSC 45-6 ( Tharanga Paranavithana 13, Saliya Jeewantha 6-21)
At Welisara
Galle CC 111 ( Irosh Samarasooriya 46, Ranjith Priyan 37, Nishantha Weerakkody 5-10,Yohan Kumara 2-21,Dulanjana Mendis 2-41 )
Navy 114 ( Chanaka Ruwansiri 26, Avishka Pereis 20, Rajith Priyan 4-44, Anil Rideegammanagedara 3-28 )
At Colts
Lankan CC: 163 (Greg Smith 46, Deshan Dias 40, Sajeewa Weerakoon 5/49, Kanishka Alavitigala 2/23, Malinda Warnapura 2/17)
Colts: 120/2 at close (Malinda Warnapura 36 n.o, Harsha Vithana 30)
At CCC
Tamil Union : 395/5 at close (Jeevan Mendis 196 n.o, Kithruwan Withanage 62, Dinuka Hettiarachchi 2/94, Hasantha Fernando 2/49)
vs CCC
At Bloomfield
Bloomfield 231/4 at close (Madawa Warnapura 125, Nipun Karunanayake 69, Lasanda Rukmal 2/51) vs Air Force
At BRC
Sracens SC 322-6 ( Rukshan Weerasinghe 127, Lasith Abeyrathne 99 n.o., Nimesh Perera 2-27 ) vs BRC
