NCC win under-23 division one title

CHRIS DHAMBARAGE

NCC brought an end to SSC’s dominance in the domestic scene when they lifted the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) organised under 23 division one inter club title with a good first innings victory in the three-day final concluded at Maitland Place yesterday.

NCC’s success in fact had a great amount of significance because they had won this tournament after a lapse of thirteen years.

They made certain of their victory by compiling a massive 420 in their first innings and then bowled out the defending champions for 290.

The champions NCC received a cash award of Rs. 500,000 and the runners-up SSC received Rs. 300,000. NCC’s total was built around a match-winning knock of 104 by their middle order batsman Hashan Gunatilleke and half centuries from Demintha Dahanayaka and Eranga Gangoda.

NCC who enjoyed a healthy first innings lead of 130 runs batted almost the entire third day to make 247 in their second innings which gave them an overall lead of 377.

Eranga Gangoda grabbed the opportunity to complete twin fifties following his knock of 53 in the first innings.

This time of course he batted in a more aggressive manner while scoring 54 from just 58 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries.

This was after opener Demintha Dahanayake and Sashrika Pussegolla had laid the foundation for another good total with a second wicket stand of 59 runs. Pussegolla in fact made amends for his first innings failure by stroking an elegant 85 with two sixes and eleven boundaries.

Milan Fernando took the bowling honours for SSC with a six wicket haul that gave him a match bag of 11 wickets for 233.

In addition Ryan Kern snapped up four wickets from just 3.5 overs as NCC lost their last five wickets for the addition of 27 runs.

SSC then batted for just nine overs in their second innings and reached 82 for 3 after they were set a victory target of 377 runs.

NCC - 1ST INNINGS420 (D. Dahanayake 82,H. Gunatilleke 104, E.  Gangoda 53, M.  Fernando 5 for 118).
SSC - 1ST INNINGS 290(H. Fernando 78, S. Karunanayake 111, K. Kulasekera 3 for 38).

NCC - 2ND INNINGS  

D. Dahanayake c and b Fernando			37
R. Mendis c N. Perera b Fernando		 6
S. Pussegolla c Sriyapala b Fernando		85
H. Gunatilleke b Fernando			14
E. Gangoda c Colombage b Fernando		54
D. Mapa c Perera b Fernando			17
K. Kulasekera lbw b Kern			 0
S. Dias b Kern					19
C. Issanka lbw b Kern				 3
R. Laksiri not out				 4
L. Gamage c Fernando b Kern			 0

Extras						 8
Total all out					247
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-84, 3-112, 4-190, 5-216, 6-220, 7-233, 8-247, 9-247.
Bowling: S. Karunanayake 4-0-10-0, C. Gunasinghe 6-2-20-0, M. Fernando 31-1-115-6,
	 H. de Silva 8-1-25-0, D. Colombage 15-1-53-0, R. Perera 2-0-14-0, R. Kern 3.5-1-9-4.

SSC - 2ND INNINGS
(target 377)

N. Perera not out				28
K. Magage b Kulasekera				 0
H. Fernando c Mapa b Gamage			 6
J. Sriyapala b Dahanayake			39
D. Colombage not out				 6

Extras						 3
Total for 3 wickets				82
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-8, 3-75.
Bowling: Kulasekera 4-0-31-1, Gamage 3-0-31-1, Dahanayake 1-0-12-1, Mapa 1-0-6-0.