by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ
SSC rode on Sanjeeva Ranatunga's career best knock of 151 to recover from a hopeless 127 for 6 wickets to post a respectable 321 all out by the end of the first day of the Division One, Sara trophy (Segment 'A') semi-final match against CCC at Reid Avenue yesterday.
SSC failed to take advantage of winning the toss and batting first on what was a good batting wicket when they lost the first wicket at 10 in the fourth over. Wickets continued to tumble as fast bowler Hemantha Alles worked his way into the SSC batting lineup. The rot was stopped by the seventh wicket pair of Ranatunga and Harith Jayasuriya, who put on a facing saving 138 runs in 137 minutes. Jayasuriya made 61 with two sixes and six fours before falling to Hassan Rushdy.
Ranatunga continued to carry the fight single-handedly until he was finally dismissed in the 93rd over of the day, pulling a ball from Rushdy to be caught by Alles at long leg. He batted 394 minutes and faced 277 balls hitting 19 fours to outdo his previous highest score of 147.
Alles ended as CCC's most successful bowler taking 5 for 72 off 21.4 overs. The match continues today at 9.45 a.m.
Day 2: Lanka de Silva keeps CCC's chances alive
By Ranjan Anandappa
TEST wicket-keeper Lanka de Silva kept CCC's hopes alive of obtaining a first innings lead with an unbeaten 119 to end the second day at 267 for 8 in reply to SSC's 321 in the P.Sara Trophy segment 'A' semi - final at Bloomfield grounds Reid Avenue yesterday.
Lanka de Silva provided the backbone of his side with a fine innings that lasted for 420 minutes, reaching the boundary fourteen times, facing 228 deliveries. De Silva rode his luck when he was dropped at mid wicket by another Test player Jayantha Silva at 39 off left-arm medium-pacer Anura Kumara who was the pick of the SSC bowlers, taking 4 for 77. De Silva taking maximum use of the lapse was unbeaten at the end.
Batting at number three, Lanka de Silva was involved in two valuable stands first 54 runs with Duncan Arnolda (37) for the fifth wicket and thereafter a further 77 runs for the eighth wicket with Amal Dalugoda. The pair brought the score from 191 for 7 to 267 before Dalugoda was judged leg before wicket in the last over of the day bowled by Aruna Gunawardena.
CCC needs a further 54 runs with two wickets in hand for a first innings lead.
Day 3: SSC enter Sara Trophy final
by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ
SSC qualified for the final of the Division One Sara trophy (Segment 'A') final when they took first innings points from CCC in their Drawn 3-day semi-final concluded at Reid Avenue yesterday.
CCC's hopes of surpassing SSC's first innings total of 321, was dashed in the first ball of the day yesterday when centurion Lanka de Silva (119 in 394 minutes, 19 fours) was bowled by left-arm fast bowler Suranga Aruna Kumara, who went on to finish with figures of 5 for 79. CCC added only four runs to their overnight total of 267 for 8, with part-time medium-pacer Aruna Gunawardena, who broke a threatening eighth wicket partnership of 76 between de Silva and Amal Dalugoda on Saturday, claiming the last wicket to finish with two for two.
SSC batted out the rest of the day totalling 253 for 4, with left-hander Hemantha Wickremaratne scoring an unbeaten 132 in 202 minutes (1 six, 17 fours) and sharing an unfinished fifth wicket stand of 129 with first innings century-maker Sanjeeva Ranatunga (34).