Moratuwa SC did well to beat SSC on the first innings

by Dilwin MENDIS - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Moratuwa Sports Club scored an unexpected upset win four runs (4 runs) on the first innings when they met table leaders Sinhalese Sports Club in their first session of Sara Trophy Cricket (1957/58 season) at Maitland Place.

Moratuwa Sports Club came into the Saravanamuttu Trophy Cricket Tournament after being promoted to higher company, having become joint champions of "Daily News" Trophy along with the NCC in 1957.

The teams vieing for Sara Trophy honours were: SSC, NCC, Tamil Union, Colts, BRC, Bloomfield, Moors SC, Saracens SC, Kandy United, University of Ceylon, Catamarans, Kurunegala SC and Moratuwa Sports Club. All the teams mentioned played in the same group. At the end of the seventh week of the tournament, Moratuwa Sports Club were lowly placed in the table of points and they had to face the top side SSC on 11th and 12th January 1958 at the SSC grounds at Maitland Place. It looked as if the SSC was going to have an easy match, what with all the top-match players in their ranks. Stanley Fonseka who piloted the Moratuwa Sports Club team to win the "Daily News" Trophy was vice captain to Trecel Peiris in the "Daily News" Trophy and asked Peiris to lead Moratuwa Sports Club in their first Sara Trophy team in the 1957-58 season.

The SSC were without their regular skipper F. C. de Saram and Channa Gunasekera led the team against the wooden-spoonists - Moratuwa Sports Club.

Channa Gunasekera won the toss and elected to bat on a turning wicket. The SSC were aware that Moratuwa Sports Club were not at their own when playing on turf as the Moratuwa Sports Club had no turf strip of their own then as the De Soysa Stadium had only a matting wicket and not a chance was given to them on the turf strip at Maitland Place.

But the matting wicket cricketers did Moratuwa proud when they bundled out the mighty SSC for just 76 runs in their first innings.

Stanley Fonseka - the Moratuwa stalwart was a member of Ceylon Transport Board and introduced some members of the CTB to the club. Former Methodist High School, Moratumulla skipper Lakshman Perera, the left-arm spinner was one of the top cricketers and playing in his first season of Sara Trophy Cricket, ripped through the strong SSC batting line-up and claimed 5 for 19 and Moratuwa SC skittled SSC for a paltry 76 runs. Fonseka too was among the wickets and he also took 5 wickets - five for 25. So, it was a good job done by Moratuwa Sports Club.

But Moratuwa Sports Club didn't have things easy and they too found run-making somewhat difficult and they just edged through to get a first innings lead of four runs - being all out for 80 runs. The top scorer for Moratuwa SC was H. I. Fernando with 30. A. Polonowita with 5 for 22 was the top bowler while Bertie Wijesinghe too bowled well to take 3 for 9.

In the second innings, the SSC did better to make 126 runs and Arjuna Dias bowled well for Moratuwa to take 5 for 36 and then Moratuwa Sports Club to make 123 runs for an outright win, but Moratuwa SC were somewhat struggling and they were 96 for 6 wickets and again it was H. I. Fernando who made 35 not out. So, it was a first innings win for Moratuwa Sports Club and it was a fine memorable win for them against the elite SSC team.