Dilshan’s century puts Bloomfield in command

by Chris DHAMBARAGE

CRICKET: Sri Lanka cap Tillekeratne Dilshan stroked an elegant century to give Bloomfield a good first innings lead over Tamil Union on the second day of their SLC Premier League Tier A tournament match continued at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium yesterday.

Tamil Union: 299 (G. Rupasinghe 154 n.o., T. Lakshitha 5 for 58, N. Fernando 2 for 68).

Bloomfield: 345 for 4 (T. M. Dilshan 112, Y. de Silva 81, C. Silva 46 n.o., P. Jayawardena 55 n.o.).

Army hit back

Sri Lanka Army SC after being dismissed for 229 hit back strongly to reduce Chilaw Marians SC to 167 for 7 in their first innings on the second day of their SLC Premier League Tier A tournament match continued at Katunayake yesterday.

Army SC: 229 (C. Silva 35, D. Hettiarachchi for 48).

Chilaw Marians SC: 167 for 7 (M. Siriwardena 62, H. Cooray 38, A. Athulathmudali 22, J. Gunaratne 20, S. Prasanna 3 for 52).

Kosala props up NCC

All rounder Kosala Kulasekera hit a top score of 83 to help NCC take a good first innings lead of 96 runs over CCC on the second day of their SLC Premier League Tier A tournament match continued at Maitland Crescent yesterday.

CCC: 158 and 49 for 2.

NCC: 254 (K. Kulasekera 83, T. Kottahewa 52 n.o, C. Vidanapathirana 4 for 67, I. Ratnayake 4 for 65).

Splendid 144 by Geeth

Opener Geeth Alwis hammered a splendid 144 with two sixes and nine boundaries to help Saracens SC build up a good first innings lead over Sebastianites SC on the second day of their SLC Premier League Tier B tournament match continued at Reid Avenue yesterday.

Sebastianites SC: 237.

Saracens SC: 302 for 7 (G. Alwis 144, K. Bodhisha 53, K. Silva 42, R. Mapatuna 25 n.o., D. Munaweera 3 for 50).

Priyadarshana 4 for 16

A fine spell of bowling from M. Priyadarshana (4 for 16) helped Sri Lanka Police SC take a good first innings lead of 111 runs over Lankan CC on the second day of their SLC Premier League Tier B tournament match continued at the Police Park yesterday.

Police SC: 213 and 79 for 2.

Lankan CC: 102 (N. Tillekeratne 38, M. Priyadarshana 4 for 16, R. Jinan 3 for 21).

Nuwan puts SSC on top

By Jatila Karawita

CRICKET: Table-leaders Colts CC were locking down the barrel after conceding huge first innings lead of 214 runs as former Sri Lanka left-arm pacer Nuwan Zoysa produced a sterling all-round performance to put title holders SSC in the driving seat as bad light brought an early end to day two of their Premier League Tier A Tournament match continued at Maitland Place, yesterday.

Lanky left-arm pace bowler Nuwan Zoysa was in devastating form with the ball as he returned impressive figures of (9-3-22-5) to help bowl out Colts CC for a modest first innings total of 164 in reply to SSC total of 378 all out.

Zoysa who claimed the first five wicket to fall in the Colts CC first innings received fine support from right-arm leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuaarachchi who captured (3 for 30) to give the upper hand of the match to the home side.

Zoysa and Lokuaarachchi thus shared eight wickets for 52 runs as only Sri Lanka ll-rounder Chaminda Vaas top scored with 31 for the Havelock Park Club on what proved to be a solid track for batting.

Earlier SSC resuming from their overnight score of 240 for 5 rode on a belligerent knock of 67 from Zoysa before being bowled out for 378.

Zoysa, the strapping left-hander who faced only 53 balls clubbed six sixes and four boundaries in a brutal display of power-hitting while overnight batsman Dimuth Karunaratne stroll stroked 55 with four fours and a six.

For Colt CC off-spinner Dilruwan Perera returned figures of 5 for 120.

SSC 240 for 5 wkts cont., 378 all out (Navin Perera 96, Dimuth Karunaratne 55, Nuwan Zoysa 67, Madura Lakmal 24, Chamidna Vaas 2 for 56, Dilruwan Perera 5 for 120).

Colts CC 164 all out (Chamidna Vaas 31, Jeewantha Kulathunga 28, Thisara Perera 26, Rashan Peiris 24, Nuwan Zoysa 5 for 22, Kaushal Lokuaarachchi 3 for 30).

Ragama CC heading for innings win

By Ranjan Anandappa

CRICKET: Ragama CC bowlers Saliya Saman, Dharshana Gamage and Kaushalya Weeraratne shared 13 wickets among themselves to put their team on the threshold of an innings win against Baduraliya CC on the second day of their Premier division cricket match played at Moors grounds, Braybrooke Place yesterday.

Baduraliya CC who recorded an impressive win over NCC last week were all at sea against a steady Ragama attack as they were dismissed for a paltry 54 in the first innings and following on with a deficit of 231 runs were reeling at 72 for 6 in the second innings.

Ragama CC: 225 for 6 overnight 285 (S.Soysa 50, D.Perera 82, Malinga Bandara 50 n.o., Niroshan Bandaratileka 3 for 46, T.M.Sampath 3 for 11).

Baduraliya: 54 (Dharshana Gamage 3 for 5, Saliya Saman 5 for 18) and 72 for 6 at close (Upul Fernando 20 n.o., Ranesh Perera 31 n.o., Kaushalya Weeraratne 5 for 16).