Moors clinch T20 title in last-ball thriller

By M. Shamil Amit

Moors Sports Club clinched the Inter-Club Premier T20 title with a thrilling one-wicket win against the defending champions NCC in the final played at the P. Sara Ovalin Colombo today (27).

Moors SC, after having lost five wickets for 88 runs in the 12th over, came back magnificently to chase down the victory target of 174 runs.

Moors SC’s win was fashioned by Ramesh Mendis and Nimanda Fernando who were associated in a valuable 60-run stand for the sixth-wicket.

However, after their departure Moors SC lost three quick wickets for the addition of just nine runs as they slid to 157 for seven at that stage.

Shiran Fernando emerged as the hero for Moors SC as he hoisted two sixes and remained unbeaten on 16 when they reached the target in the last ball of the innings.

Earlier, NCC recovered well to post a challenging total after losing their top three wickets with the score at 63 in the eighth over.

Pathum Nissanka who made a top score of 55 took NCC out of the woods by associating in two valuable partnerships.

He first put on 55 runs for the fourth-wicket with Skipper Mahela Udawatte and followed up by adding 41 for the fifth-wicket with Chathuranga de Silva as NCC ended their innings scoring 173 for nine.

• NCC: 173/9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 52, Mahela Udawatte 31, Dinesh Chandimal 20, Chathuranga de Silva 20, Adeesha Thilanchana 3/30)
• Moors SC: 174/9 in 20 overs (Nimanda Madusanka 47, Ramesh Mendis 37, Adeesha Thilanchana 26, Dilesh Gunaratne 3/18, Chathuranga de Silva 2/20).