Individual performances in the third weekend of the Premier championships were moderate, but that didn't stop three clubs from gaining outright victories and five others from obtaining first innings points.
These results brought about some drastic changes in the standings, but it could not shake pacesetters Moors SC. With their third straight win, Moors consolidated their position by opening up a near 13-point lead as their rivals faltered.
In a low scoring game at Havelock Park, Moors having narrowly gained a first innings lead of seven runs, pulled off an exciting one wicket win to obtain full points over BRC.
Two important innings from the bats of Moors SC cricketers Ashan Ranaweera and Kesara Jayasinghe, who each made a half-century turned the match in their favour. Both individual knocks proved invaluable to Moors, Ranaweera's 53 squeezed them past on the first innings, and Jayasinghe's 70 was the cornerstone of their successful run chase. Set a target of 167, Moors were perilously placed at 102 for 6 before Jayasinghe with assistance from Charith Bandaratilake (24 n.o.) changed the course of the game by adding 57 invaluable runs for the seventh wicket.
Former Kurunegala YCC left-armer Rangana Herath came up with career best bowling figures taking 6/59 in the second innings and 11 for 108 in the match, which incidentally is the best by a bowler this season beating Kurunegala YCC off-spinner Ranjith Madurasinghe's haul of ten wickets the previous weekend. Herath's magnificent bowling on a helpful track enabled Moors to dismiss BRC for 178 and 173.
Former Anandian all-rounder Duminda Perera was BRC's star performer in a lost cause taking a career best 6/64 and scoring a brisk half-century highlighted by a flurry of boundaries (4 sixes, 5 fours).
Two clubs from the South - Sebastianites and Galle CC enhanced their positions by obtaining full points, and moving up three notches from the previous weekend.
Sebastianites who had a poor run in the premier limited overs tournament, have begun the longer version of the game in convincing fashion. Their innings win over Matara SC lifted them from sixth place to third in the standings. Once again it was there wicket-keeper/batsman T.M. Dilshan who provided the platform for their total. Following his career best knock of 194 a fortnight ago, Dilshan, who is to undergo a name change, was in line for his second successive hundred, but was dismissed nine runs shy of those magical figures. However, his contribution enabled Sebastianites to total 302 - a figure which proved more than sufficient for their bowlers spearheaded by medium-pacer Marlon Peiris (match bag of eight wickets) to bowl Matara out twice.
Galle CC moved from eighth place to fifth with their innings victory over Antonian SC at Galle. Having made 189 in the first innings, Antonians were shot out for 88 in their second essay with former Sri Lanka fast bowler Champaka Ramanayake (who is also the club coach) providing the inspiration with a five-wicket haul. Galle CC made 301.
Beaten finalists of last season, Bloomfield gained sweet revenge when they took first innings points off defending champions SSC. SSC's total of 193, made up largely by former Thomian opener Upekha Fernando's career best knock of 84 not out, proved insufficient. The rest of the SSC batting succumbed to the leg-spin cum pace combination of Priyankara Wickremasinghe and Pulasthi Gunaratne, who between them took nine wickets.
SSC put up a better improved batting display in the second innings to set Bloomfield a target of 194 for victory. Shantha Kalavitigoda completed a maiden first-class century (135 not out) and acting captain Hemantha Wickremaratne contributed a half-century. Bloomfield accepted the challenge but had to put up shutters when they were reduced to 170 for 8.
Former Nalanda captain Ramesh de Silva also made his maiden first-class hundred in Bloomfield's first innings tackling the left-arm spin of former Sri Lanka bowler Jayantha Silva (5/105) successfully.
Premier limited overs champions Colts ended their losing streak when their batsmen finally came good to provide their bowlers with a substantial total to bowl out the opposition. Colts hit up the highest total of the weekend - 401 with major contributions coming from acting captain Duleep Samaraweera (101), a career best 91 by Dulip Liyanage and a fifty from Sujith Janaka. Tamil Union could reply with only 229. Forced to follow-on, they performed a shade better ending with 220 for 6.
Tamil Union are one of five clubs without a win this season. Another top club of yesteryear who are struggling are NCC. They went down to CCC on the first innings, and put up a defiant performance in the second innings being 200 for 3 at one stage, before a flurry of wickets forced them to abandon the run chase for 313. Former Sri Lanka under 19 captain Pradeep Hewage set the tone for the chase with a career best 96.
NCC made a paltry 105 in the first innings and eventually finished on 274 for 7 - the first time they had gone over the 200-run mark in five innings this season. NCC were 'done in' in their first essay by the fast-medium bowling of Indika Gallage and Romesh Fernando, who between them accounted for nine first innings wickets.
NCC were led in this match by former Sri Lanka all-rounder Ruwan Kalpage. They are expected to return somewhere close to their full strength this weekend when acting captain Russel Arnold, Sajeeva de Silva, Prasanna Jayawardene and Chintaka Jayasinghe come back from representing Hatton National Bank in the Gulf. They will however continue to miss Sri Lankan stars Aravinda de Silva and Hashan Tillekeratne (both in Australia), fast bowler Ravindra Pushpakumara (groin injury) and one drop batsman Naveed Nawaz (who has gone to play cricket in Bangladesh).
NCC coach Rumesh Ratnayake promised a better performance from the club and said: ``There is no excuses for our poor performances. They are doing everything, but the expected results are not forthcoming. I think it has something to do with attitude''.
Singha and Kurunegala YCC languishing in the lower rungs of the table, recorded their first victories for the season. Right-arm fast-medium bowlers Bandula Ranjith and Suraj Sanjeeva shared eight wickets to dismiss Police 42 short of their first innings total of 301 to give Singha the win.
Premier limited overs semi-finalists Panadura were given a rude shock by Kurunegala YCC, who managed a narrow 15-run win on the first innings. If Panadura thought their first day total of 300 made with the help of fifties from skipper Kapila Silva and Mangala Jayasena, was sufficient, they were sadly mistaken.
Kurunegala with some purposeful batting from the top order - N. Munasinghe (86) and Ruwan Kariyawasam (50) sneaked ahead, much to the disappoint of the Panadura supporters. Buddhika Perera (90) and Rohan Galappathy (50) scored swiftly as Panadura tried to make amends in the second innings, but their declaration proved fruitless. Kurunegala skipper, the evergreen Ajith Ekanayake had an enjoyable spell of left-arm bowling taking 6 for 60 in Panadura's first innings.
Premier Championship Standings
The following are the Premier Championship standings at the completion of the third weekend of matches on Jan 18:
P WOR W1st LOR L1st ND Btng Bwlg Pts
Moors SC 3 2 1 0 0 0 4.760 5.0 41.760
Bloomfield 3 1 1 0 0 1 5.165 4.3 29.465
Sebastianites 3 1 1 0 0 1 5.215 3.7 28.915
SSC 3 0 2 0 1 0 6.655 5.5 28.155
Galle CC 3 1 1 0 0 1 3.285 4.5 27.785
CCC 3 0 2 0 0 1 4.340 4.7 25.040
Antonian SC 3 1 0 1 0 1 4.025 3.6 19.625
Panadura SC 3 0 1 0 1 1 6.515 3.0 17.515
Colts 3 0 1 0 1 1 4.670 3.6 16.270
Kurunegala YCC 3 0 1 1 0 1 2.800 3.5 14.300
Singha SC 3 0 1 0 1 1 4.460 1.8 14.260
BRC 3 0 0 2 1 0 4.940 4.2 9.140
NCC 3 0 0 1 1 1 4.625 3.6 8.265
Tamil Union 3 0 0 0 2 1 5.425 2.3 7.725
Matara SC 3 0 0 1 1 1 3.110 3.4 6.510
Police SC 3 0 0 0 2 1 3.225 2.3 5.525
(Subject to confirmation)
HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL INNINGS: 203 (n.o.) - Hemantha Wickremaratne, SSC v Tamil Union at Maitland Place on Jan. 10.
FASTEST CENTURY: 136 balls (163 mins) - Mahela Jayawardene, SSC v BRC at Maitland Place on Jan 2.
BEST INNINGS ANALYSIS: 8/75 - Erik Upashantha, Colts v CCC at Maitland Place on Jan. 10.
BEST MATCH ANALYSIS: 11/108 - Rangana Herath, Moors SC v BRC at Havelock Park on Jan. 16.
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTAL: 462/6 decl. - Sebastianites v Singha SC at De Soysa Stadium on Jan. 9.
LOWEST INNINGS TOTAL: 88 - Antonian SC v Galle CC at Galle Stadium on Jan. 17.