SSC survive Malinga hat-trick to take title

Sinhalese SC 308 (S Karunanayake 71, C Shriyapala 56, Kottehewa 3-44, Malinga 3-86 ) and 123 for 9 (Fernando 34*, Malinga 4-26) drew with Nondescripts 285 (KB Kulasekara 80, Abeydeera 3-69)

Lasith Malinga bowled a fiery spell and picked up four wickets in five deliveries - including a hat-trick in the U-23 final in Colombo © Getty Images

Sinhalese Sports Club won the Sri Lanka Cricket-conducted Under 23 Division One final by virtue of obtaining a first-innings lead over Nondescripts Cricket Club despite a late fightback staged by Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga, who took a hat-trick on the third and final day of the 3-day final which ended in a draw at Maitland Place.

Replying to SSC's first innings of 308, NCC, who resumed the final day on 207 for 6, were dismissed for 285 to trail by 23 runs. Malinga then made a late attempt to seize back the initiative for NCC with a fiery spell of bowling that brought him 4 for 26 runs off 14 overs.

Coming to bowl the eighth over of the innings, he sent back Shalika Karunanayake, Suraj Mohamed and Dunil Abeydeera with the second, third and fourth deliveries of the over. All three victims were bowled.

SSC however survived the storm to end the match on 123 for 9 with opener Randhiv Fernando hitting a patient 34 not out in 232 minutes (162 balls) to make sure his club did not lose the first innings advantage.

When play resumed on the final day a great deal depended on the NCC overnight pair Kosala Kulasekera and Tharuka Kottehewa who had added 77. But NCC suffered a big blow when Kottahewa was run out for 38. However, Udara Waruna stuck it out with Kulasekera carrying the score to 241 before Kulasekera's fine knock of 80 was ended when he gave a catch to Abeydeera off Manjula Silva.

Waruna and Komasaru added a further 37 runs for the ninth wicket before another run-out ended NCC's hopes of overtaking SSC's total. On this occasion it was Waruna who was the victim after scoring a valuable 39. Milinda Siriwardene of Sebastianites was named Player of the Tournament while the Best Batsman and Best Bowler awards went to Dimuthu Karunaratne (Colts) and A.V. Atapattu (Police SC) respectively.