Nondescripts clinch Premier Tier A limited-overs title
A round-up of the two finals of the Premier Limited Over Tournament in Sri Lanka 2011-12
Sa'adi Thawfeeq
18-Dec-2011
Farveez Maharoof finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer • Manoj Ridimahaliyadda
Nondescripts CC, led by Sri Lanka opening batsman Upul Tharanga, regained the Premier limited-overs Tier A title after five years when they defeated arch rivals Sinhalese SC by 32 runs in the final at the P Sara Oval on Saturday.
The former champions, who last won the title in 2006/07, put up a commendable batting performance to run up 268 after being asked to bat first and then defended the total successfully dismissing SSC for 236 in the 48th over.
At one stage SSC were struggling at 54 for 4 but the captain Thilina Kandamby (64) and Kaushal Lokuarachchi (52) helped them recover with a 109-run stand that put them on track once again. But NCC held their nerve to chip away at the SSC wickets to eventually bowl them out.
NCC's innings revolved around two half-centuries from former Sri Lanka allrounder Farveez Maharoof (52) who in this tournament promoted himself to open the batting and ended up as the top run-getter with 219 runs (avg. 43.80) and, another Sri Lanka one-day batsman Chamara Kapugedera (64) who has taken over a new role as wicketkeeper during the tournament. Angelo Perera chipped in with an entertaining knock of 41 off 36 balls to help NCC rattle off 63 off the last six overs. Offspinner Sachitra Senanayake was the pick of the SSC bowlers taking three wickets and finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 16.
However the most pleasing performance came from the former Sri Lanka Under-19 World Cup allrounder Charith Jayampathi who took the wickets of Tharanga, Perera and Thilan Thushara for 48 runs and then kept SSC in the hunt during their run chase with courageous 31 off 25 balls before being eventually run out.
Tier B
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) won a tense final against Sri Lanka Navy by three wickets with 11 balls to spare to clinch the Premier limited-over Tier B title at the P Sara Oval on Friday.
Navy squandered a great start of 114 by their openers Dhanushka Gurusinghe (65) and Dilan Chandima (82) to be bowled out for a disappointing 206. They however fought back strongly to reduce Ports Authority to 85 for 6 before a fine rearguard action from Dinusha Fernando and Ranesh Perera saw them come back from the dead to stage a remarkable victory.
Fast bowling allrounder Fernando who played two Tests against England in 2003, hit an unbeaten 81 off 114 balls to steer his team home. He put on 120 for the seventh wicket with Perera, who contributed 54 off 70 balls.