Panadura Sports Club put up a stunning performance to beat the more fancied Ragama Cricket Club outright by five wickets in their Sri Lanka Cricket inter club Premier League tournament match which concluded at the Panadura Esplanade today.
Panadura v Ragama
Chasing a target of 202 runs on the third and final day Panadura SC recovered from an early setback to complete their task with plenty of overs and time to spare.
Even then their success was in the balance at one stage as Ragama CC were able to make early inroads into their opponent’s batting line up and also threatened to pull off a dramatic victory after having conceded first innings points.
However Panadura SC found a great batting combination comprising of Supeshala Jayathilake and Dinuk Wickremanayake who completely changed the complexion of the game while adding 135 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket partnership.
The pair came together at a most vital stage of the innings when Panadura SC were really struggling at 69 for five wickets having lost the entire top order against the pace of Dhananjaya de Silva (3 for 55) and Sajeewa Weerakoon.
But Jayathillake and Wickremanayake had different ideas as they turned the game in their favour through some brilliant batting with both completing unbeaten half centuries.
Wickremanayake was the most aggressive as he raced to an unbeaten 80 runs from the same number of deliveries and inclusive of thirteen boundaries while his partner Jayathillake struck six boundaries during his unbeaten 53 runs.
Moors v Colts
Moors Sports Club continued with their excellent performances this season with a splendid eight wicket outright victory over Colts CC in another Sri Lanka Cricket inter club Premier League tournament match which concluded at Braybrooke Place today.
Moors SC spearheaded by a career best bowling effort from skipper Janaka Gunaratne (8 for 92) bowled out their opponents for the second time in the match for just 255 runs leaving them an easy target of 76 runs.
The only batsman to offer any kind of resistance was Bhanuka Rajapaksa who hit a sparkling 111 runs with the help of three sixes and thirteen boundaries while also putting on 108 runs for the second wicket along with Shehan Fernando.
Army v Air Force
Sri Lanka Army Sports Club produced a fine all round performance to beat Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club outright by six wickets in their Sri Lanka Cricket inter club Premier League tournament match which concluded at Panagoda today.
Army SC had the satisfaction of dismissing their opponents for the second time in the match through some outstanding bowling from seamer Nuwan Liyanapathirana (5 for 53) and Ravindra Palleguruge (3 for 90).
For the Airman middle order batsman Achira Eranga unfortunately missed out a hundred by a solitary run having faced just 67 deliveries and struck five sixes and thirteen boundaries.
Army SC never panicked during their run chase and reached their challenging victory target in a calculated manner with Manjula de Zoysa stroking an unbeaten 68 runs from 95 deliveries studded with eleven boundaries.
He also added a crucial 96 runs for the fourth wicket along with skipper Asela Gunaratne who played a good supporting role making 46 runs with the help of four boundaries.
NCC v Badureliya
The NCC went on to complete a rousing innings and 206 runs outright victory over Badureliya SC in their Sri Lanka Cricket inter club Premier League tournament match which concluded at the Surrey ground in Maggona today.
NCC needed only ten overs to wrap up the Badureliya SC second innings for a paltry 133 runs with Sohan Boralessa claiming six wickets for 39 runs and to finish with a matchbag of nine wickets.
Meanwhile the Tamil Union had to be content with only first innings points over Chilaw Marians CC in their Sri Lanka Cricket Premier League tournament match which ended in a draw at the P. Sara Oval today.
