Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament (Final) – SSC vs SC & AC
The Major Clubs Limited Overs Tournament in Sri Lanka reached its culmination today at the SSC, and the home side emerged victorious, securing the coveted bragging rights. The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) claimed the championship with an impressive 71-run win, bundling out the Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club in 42 overs. SSC star batsmen Krishan Sanjula’s remarkable innings of 84 runs in the first innings proved pivotal in SSC’s success on the day, but it was their exceptional spin options that ultimately proved decisive.
Opting to bat first earlier in the day, SSC skipper Avishka Fernando anticipated that the challenging wicket would become more favorable for defending as the day progressed. Despite losing their skipper early, SSC maintained momentum with valuable contributions from Danushka Gunathilaka and Shevon Daniel. Gunathilaka’s quickfire 23 and Daniel’s resilient 35 kept the scoreboard ticking. However, it was Krishan Sanjula’s substantial 84 off 125 deliveries that propelled SSC to a competitive total of 201 runs. Sanjula’s determined effort proved crucial as the middle and lower order faced setbacks, with Chamindu Wickramasinghe chipping in at the death with a valuable 36.
With a target of 202 to chase, the Sebastianites encountered difficulties from the beginning of their innings. SSC’s aggressive spin options, including Prabath Jasuriya, Danushka Gunathilaka, and Gishan Balasooriya, dismantled four top-order Sebastianites, tightening the squeeze and allowing only 39 runs by the 15th over mark. This early setback significantly hampered the chasing team, resulting in a struggle for runs despite managing to survive 42 overs on the day.
In the end, SSC bundled out their opposition for just 130 runs, with Prabath Jayasuriya dealing the most damage. Jayasuriya grabbed 3 wickets for just 25 runs in his 8 overs, and was well assisted by the pair of Balasooriya and Fernando who claimed two wickets each. Krishan Sanjula was joyfully awarded the player of the final for his brilliant stint of 84, but Sebastianites’ veteran Dushan Vimukthi was awarded player of the tournament for his all-around efforts throughout the competition.
Chief Scores:
Sinhalese Sports Club – 201 for 8 in 50 overs (Krishan Sanjula 84, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 36*, Dushan Vimukthi 2 for 39, Chamikara Edirisinghe 2 for 40)
Sebastianites Cricket And Athlethic Club – 130 for 10 in 42 overs (Chamikara Edirisinghe 37, Promod Maduwantha 21, Prabath Jayasuriya 3 for 25, Nuwanidu Fernando 2 for 31)
