NCC, Colts CC qualify for final

NCC and Colts CC qualified for the final of the Major Club T20 cricket tournament when they came out victorious over Moors SC and Ace Capital CC in the semi-finals played at P. Sara Stadium.

In the first semi-final between NCC and Moors SC played in the morning session, which was curtailed to 13 overs due to rain, NCC coasted to a comfortable seven-wicket victory which came on the back of two blistering unbeaten knocks by Niroshan Dickwella and Sahan Arachchige.

Dickwella, who slammed a 26-ball knock of 70 that included 11 boundaries and three sixes, associated in two valuable partnerships.

First it was an opening wicket stand for 47 runs in 16 balls and the other was an unbroken 63 runs in 25 balls for the fourth wicket with Arachchige who hit 44 in 18 balls with three boundaries and four sixes, as NCC chased down a revised target of 138 runs for victory to race to the target in just 9.5 overs.

The second semi-final played in the evening session saw Colts CC overcoming Ace Capital CC by five wickets with eight balls to spare. The hero of Colts CC’s win was Dhananjaya Lakshan who put in two fine performances.

Lakshan ended with a four-wicket haul which helped Colts CC restrict Ace Capital CC taking first lease of the wicket for a score of 147.

Later he made a quick-fire 51 in 32 balls which had three boundaries and three sixes and shared a valuable 82 runs for the third wicket with Angelo Mathews enabling Colts CC to reach the target in the 19th over.

The final is scheduled to be played Sunday at the SSC ground,

Results:

At P Sara Stadium – NCC won by seven wickets

Moors SC 131 for 5 in 13 overs (Sohan de Livera 37, Janishka Perera 28, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 28, Mohamed Shamaaz 19 n.o.)

NCC 138 for 3 in 9.5 overs (Kamil Mishara 15, Niroshan Dicwella 70 n.o., Sahan Arachchige 44 n.o.)

At P Sara Stadium – Colts CC won by five wickets

Ace Capital CC 147 for 8 in 20 overs (Pawantha Weerasinghe 73, Sakuna Liyanage 20: Dhananjaya Lakshan 4 for 30, Udith Madushan 2 for 29)

Colts CC 152 for 5 in 18.4 overs (Dhananjaya Lakshan 51, Angelo Mathews 36, Jehan Daniel 23 n.o.: Sithum Dissanayake 2 for 29). (Text: M. Shamil Amit / Pic: SLC)