Vaas leads Colts to first one-day title (28 December 1998)

28 December 1998

Vaas leads Colts to first one-day title

by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas handed his club, Colombo Colts CC a Yuletide Christmas present on their 125th anniversary year when he led them to a comprehensive 60 runs victory over Singhalese SC in the Premier limited overs final played under lights at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

The win gave Colts their first-ever limited overs title and it was their first one in a major tournament since beating SSC to win the division I Sara trophy under Hemantha Devapriya in 1991-92.

Colts lived up to the exceptional form they had shown throughout the tournament, to rattle up an imposing total of 276 for 6 off 50 overs after chosing to bat first. To chase such a daunting target under lights proved too much for SSC, who eventually succumbed for 216 in 44 overs.

Athough SSC had as many as nine players (the only exceptions being Malintha Perera and Ruchira Perera) who had represented the country in one-day internationals, they were outplayed totally by a clinically efficient side led admirably by Vaas.

Vaas' advice to his players : "Let's play good cricket all the time" and the high standards he set for them were followed to the very letter in Colts' success.

The club lost a key player in all-rounder Tilan Samaraweera (who switched over to SSC), but they hardly felt his loss because of the vast amount of young talent they had waiting on the sidelines.

Naturally, with promising players like Bathiya Perera, Sujith Janaka, Ajantha Lankatilake, Ishara Amarasinghe, Monto Perera and Trevin Matthews breathing down their backs for recognition the first team players knew they had to perform to be retained.

The pace set by national wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana and Dulip Samaraweera in providing a substantial opening stand of 123 off 20 overs against a probable Sri Lankan fast bowling line-up of Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Nuwan Zoysa and Ruchira Perera gave Colts the launch pad for their lavish total. The final touches to the score line was provided by Vaas and Erik Upashantha who added a breezy 63 for the seventh wicket at more than a run a ball.

SSC's batting became a cropper to the left-arm spin of Dinuka Hettiaratchi on the slow surface. Backed up by sharp fielding, none of their top order batsmen were allowed to make a substantial contribution which was a requirement if they were to successfully chase Colts' total.

Hettiaratchi finished with the excellent figures of 6 for 43, but the choice of 'Man of the Final' by adjudicator and match referee Ashantha de Mel went to Vaas, one which no one would grudge.

Colts 276 for 6 in 50 overs (D.P. Samaraweera 57, R.S. Kaluwitharana 70, J. Kulatunga 34, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas 41 n.o., E. Upashantha 27 n.o., Ruchira Perera 3 for 56)

SSC 216 in 44 overs (Upekha Fernando 42, M.S. Atapattu 42, A. Ranatunga 20, D.P.M. Jayewardene 40, S. Ranatunga 35, D. Hettiaratchi 6 for 43, S.I. Fernando 2 for 32).

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)