Army SC A came roaring back after being restricted to 126, to manage a narrow victory against Air Force SC A, as the two table-toppers clashed in Panagoda on Saturday (9). Seenigama CC, Navy SC and Army SC B were the other victorious teams on matchday 5 of the Women’s Inter-Club Division I 50-over Cricket Tournament 2022.
Army SC A vs Air Force SC A at Army Grounds, Panagoda
The two unbeaten teams of the tournament clashed in a rain-interrupted encounter at Panagoda, with Army overcoming the much fancied Air Force outfit by 11 runs(DLS). Air Force had previously beaten the defending champions Navy SC and looked to be on the way to further strengthening their claim to the title when they restricted Army to 126 in their allotted 48 overs, but a brilliant bowling display from the Soldiers, led by medium pacers Madhushika Meththananda and Nilakshi de Silva helped them restrict Air Force to 110 in 44 overs, 11 runs short of the DLS target.
Air Force skipper Oshadi Ranasinghe shone with both bat and ball and remained unbeaten in the chase but received little support from the other end.
With the win, Army SC A rise to the top of the table, with other title contenders Air Force SC A and Navy SC having suffered one defeat apiece. Army SC A’s next encounter versus Navy on Monday (11), could turn out to be the title decider.
Brief Scores
Army SC A 126/9 (48) Madushika Meththananda 24, Roshini Perera 19, Oshadi Ranasinghe 4/26, Malsha Shehani 2/18
Air Force SC A 110/9 (44) Oshadi Ranasinghe 24*, Ama Kanchana 22, Nilakshi de Silva 3/11, Madushika Meththananda 3/24
Result – Army SC A won by 11 runs (DLS method – Match reduced to 44.0 overs, target 122 runs)
Chilaw Marians CC vs Navy SC at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo
Chilaw Marians gave Navy SC a scare in their matchday 5 encounter at the R Premadasa in Colombo, reducing the visitors to 36/3 in their pursuit of 77. However, some smart and level-headed batting from Hansima Karunaratne, helped Navy stay afloat and eventually get to the target with 4 wickets in hand. Marians bowled 24 wides in the total of 77.
Marians had another poor run with the bat, with Chamari Athapaththu dismissed for a duck and her opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne not lasting much longer. Once again, it was the left-arm medium pace duo, Tharika Sewwandi and veteran Udeshika Prabodhani who did the damage, picking up 3 wickets apiece.
Brief Scores
Chilaw Marians 76 (38) Sandali Weerasinghe 25, Sanduni Nisansala 16, Inoka Ranaweera 3/11, Tharika Sewwandi 3/12
Navy SC 77/6 (17.1) Hansima Karunaratne 18, Vidushika Perera 2/16
Result – Navy SC won by 4 wickets
Air Force SC B vs Seenigama CC at Air Force Grounds, Katunayake
It was another brilliant performance from the young Seenigama CC outfit, led by Kavisha Dilhari and Sachini Nisansala, as the southern team overcame Air Force SC B by 12 runs in Katunayake.
After opting to bat, Seenigama were in a spot of bother at 26/2, before some valuable knocks from Vihara Sewwandi, Imesha Dulani and Dilhari, helped the visitors post a competitive 185/9 in their 50 overs.
Air Force started off well, with openers Hirushi Peiris and Purnima Fernando putting on 32 in the 1st 6 overs, but off spinner Sachini Nisansala knocked off the top in the Air Force line-up to give Seenigama the edge. Malki Madara put up a lone fight on one end, but the Seenigama bowlers managed to bowl out the hosts in the 50th over, to register their 2nd win of the tournament.
Brief Scores
Seenigama CC 185/9 (50) Kavisha Dilhari 79, Imesha Dulani 37, Sadani Dedduwakumara 2/27, Shakila Premaratne 2/32
Air Force SC B 173 (49.1) Malki Madara 81*, Sachini Nisansala 3/17, Sulesha Sathsarani 3/35
Result – Seenigama CC won by 12 runs
Colts CC vs Army SC B at Colts Grounds, Colombo
Colts CC did well to restrict the visitors to 154/7 in their 50 overs, after winning the toss and opting to field first in Colombo. However, the batting continued to disappoint, as they were bowled out for just 70 in 38 overs.
Brief Scores
Army SC B 154/7 (50) Ayesha Chandrasiri 56*, Sadani de Silva 27, Nimasha Madushani 2/18, Chamari Lakshani 1/18
Colts CC 70 (38) Kaushini Nathyunga 16, Sadani Silva 4/15, Ashini Samindi 2/6
Result – Army SC B won by 84 runs
. Seenigama CC, Navy SC and Army SC B were the other victorious teams on matchday 5 of the Women’s Inter-Club Division I 50-over Cricket Tournament 2022.){kind=link}