Perera, Mubarak's record stand powers NCC win

Group B

Angelo Perera's 244 and Jehan Mubarak's 164 helped Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) beat Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club by an innings and 39 runs at the NCC ground. Mubarak and Perera were involved in a mammoth stand of 405, which was the highest partnership for the fourth wicket in a first-class match on Sri Lankan soil. They came together when NCC were 81 for 3 in response to Air Force's 196. Perera blasted 30 fours and six sixes in his knock that required only 204 balls and it was also his highest first-class score. Mubarak's knock came off 247 balls with 14 fours and two sixes. NCC eventually declared at 552 for 6 with a lead of 356.

Earlier, Air Force were bundled out within 54 overs after being put in to bat. Sohan Boralessa and Dushmantha Chameera shared seven wickets between them. Air Force put on a much improved show in the second innings, scoring 317, but it wasn't enough to prevent an innings defeat. Wicketkeeper Sajith Kalumpriya made an exact 100 while Dushan Vimukthi made 59 and the pair put on 100 for the second wicket. Lahiru Sri Lakmal and Achira Eranga resisted with a stand of 83 for the fifth wicket. Tharindu Kaushal, the offspinner from Galle, finished with a six-wicket haul - his eighth first-class five-wicket haul - to give NCC their first win of the season.

The encounter at the Colombo Cricket Club ground was far more competitive as Sri Lanka Army Sports Club edged past the hosts Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) by two wickets in a tense chase. Chasing 253, a pair of 70s by Asela Gunaratne and Seekkuge Prasanna put Army on track but CCC hit back with quick wickets. Army were losing their grip at 244 for 8 before Lakshitha Madushan and Ravindra Palleguruge steered them home.

CCC were bundled out for 173 after being asked to bat, with the veteran Indika de Saram top scoring with 40. Chatura Damith and Prasanna shared seven wickets between them. Army managed a lead of 55, with Gunaratne scoring 54. Lakshan Rangika, the left-arm chinaman bowler, finished with career best figures of 7 for 78. CCC fared better in the second innings with 307, with half-centuries by Amal Athulathmudali and Chamara Silva and a 48 by de Saram. Prasanna followed up his three-wicket haul in the first innings with 5 for 127 in the second. Palleguruge, the left-arm spinner, finished with 4 for 56. Chasing 253, Army were well placed at 220 for 4, but Prasanna's wicket triggered a collapse. They lost 4 for 24 but the ninth-wicket pair handed Army their first win on the season.

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Cricket Club moved to the top of the table with thumping 10-wicket win against Panadura Sports Club at the Panadura Esplanade. The win was powered by a double-hundred from Gayashan Weerasekera (217), his maiden first-class hundred, and a century from Sachithra Senasinghe (100) which took them to 423 for 9.

Four wickets from Isuru Udana kept Panadura to 180 as only four of their batsmen scored in double digits. Chaminda Bandara and Tyron Gamage also chipped in with two wickets each as SLPAC made Panadura follow-on. With a better performance in the second innings, Panadura overtook the deficit and scored 258 but that set SLPAC a target of only 16 which they chased with ease to grab 16.09 points against Panadura's 3.09.

An unbeaten hundred from Vishva Wijeratne gave Sinhalese Sports Club a handy first-innings lead to get them 11.22 points in a draw against Chilaw Marians Cricket Club at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Put in to bat, Chilaw Marians were restricted to 208 by four wickets from Dilhara Fernando and two each from Dhammika Prasad, Sachithra Senanayake and Danushka Gunathilaka as not one batsmen could cross the score of 40. SSC were precariously placed at 149 for 5 but Wijeratne's 116 with contributions from the lower order got them to 264 for 8 before they declared.

Chilaw Marians fared much better in the second innings with fifties from Sahan Wijeratne (77) and Saliya Saman (88*) but they opened the tournament at the bottom with 3.35 points.

Another draw ensued in Colombo, between Ragama Cricket Club and Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club. Ragama moved to second place in the table with a first-innings lead which got them 11.67 points after they scored 384 on the back of a hundred from Ian Daniel (142), once they were put in to bat. A six-wicket haul from legspinner Malinga Bandara meant TUCAC were restricted to 325 despite useful contributions from Jeevan Mendis (118) and Pabasara Waduge (99). Ragama were struggling at 150 for 7 in the second essay but their lead of 59 had done the work by then.