by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ
Tamil Union and NCC qualified for the division one inter-club limited overs final when they secured facile victories over fancied SSC and Bloomfield respectively, in the semi-finals played yesterday.
Tamil Union routed SSC for 146 to earn an emphatic 104 runs win at the CCC grounds, while NCC bowled out Bloomfield for 140 to earn themselves a 71-run win at the SSC grounds.
The date and venue for the final will be decided by the tournament committee at its weekly meeting on Tuesday.
TAMIL UNION BEAT SSC
Half-centuries from Indika Galagoda (54 off 75 balls, 7 fours) and Chaminda Jayasinghe (67 off 109 balls, 2 sixes, 2 fours) who added 82 for the second wicket, and an exciting knock of 52 off 40 balls (4 sixes, 1 four) from the stocky left-hander Varuna Waragoda, saw Tamil Union run up a sizeable total of 250 for 9 off 50 overs after electing to bat first at the CCC grounds.
SSC were never allowed to settle down by a highly motivated Tamil Union side, despite a captain's innings of 57 off 59 balls (1 six, 6 fours) from Nisal Fernando. Tamil Union's old warhorse Champaka Ramanayake took three wickets and received good support from Nuwan Shiroman, as they put a stranglehold on the SSC batting restricting them to 146 all out in the 41st over.
Tamil Union 250 for 9 in 50 overs (I. Galagoda 54, C. Jayasinghe 67, I.S. de Saram 23, V.S.K. Waragoda 52, R. Yasalal 10, S. Arunakumara 3 for 32, H. Jayasuriya 2 for 38, Suranjith Silva 2 for 34)
SSC 146 in 40.3 overs (H. Jayasuriya 17, Nisal Fernando 57, S. Kalawitigoda 11, H. Wickremaratne 14, H.C.P. Ramanayake 3 for 34, N. Shiroman 3 for 23)
NCC BEAT BLOOMFIELD
Ruwin Peiris and Russel Arnold were the architects in NCC's 71-run win over Bloomfield at the SSC grounds.
Peiris struck 10 fours in compiling an attractive 81 off 107 balls for NCC to total 211 for 8 off 44 overs after being sent in by Bloomfield. Then, Arnold with his off-spinners turn on the screws to have Bloomfield out by the 34th over for 140. Only left-hander Naveed Nawaz resisted making 45 with one six and three fours.
NCC 211 for 8 in 44 overs (R.P. Arnold 37, R. Peiris 81, Avishka Gunawardena 25, S. Warusamana 21, K. Sangakkara 18, D. Samarasinghe 10, H. Boteju 3 for 33, P. Wickremasinghe 3 for 40, Batisha de Silva 2 for 24)
Bloomfield 140 in 33.4 overs (M.N. Mawaz 45, Sampath Perera 15, S. Dissanayake 29, L. Hannibal 2 for 38, A. Rideegammanagedera 2 for 18, R.P. Arnold 4 for 31).
Hafiz Marikar - liaison officer
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has appointed Hafiz Marikar as the liaison officer of the Zimbabwe cricket team on their one-month tour of Sri Lanka.
Marikar, an MMC is an active member of the Kandy District Cricket Association and has served in the capacity of liaison officer to many visiting teams in the past.
He liaised for Kenya during the World Cup in 1996 and for West Indies 'A' last year where the team manager Joel Garner praised his services.
Marikar has also been manager of the Sri Lanka Billiards and Snooker and football teams on many occasions.
Zimbabwe are due in Sri Lanka tomorrow to play a series of two Tests and three one-day internationals.
Fine century by Johannes (from our Moratuwa Sports Cor., Dilwin Mendis)
A fine knock of 100 with 12 fours in 250 minutes from opener Johannes Jayasuriya saw St. Joseph's total 232 all out on the first day of their inter-school cricket match against Prince of Wales at Moratuwa yesterday.
By the close, the home team had replied with 94 for 2 of which Ashantha Fernando is unbeaten on 50. The match continues today at 10 a.m.
St. Joseph's 232 (J. Jayasuriya 100, D. Ramanayake 32, S. Weeraperuma 23, S. Peiris 5 for 54, I. Hitthethiya 2 for 9)
Prince of Wales 94 for 2 at close (I. Hitthetiya 34 n.o., Ashantha Fernando 50 n.o.). Horana Combined team vs. Karawali side
A one-day cricket match between the touring Karawali Cricket Academy team from Mangalore, Karnataka and a Combined Horana Schools team will be palyed at Horana Public Stadium tomorrow.
The match is organised by the Old Sri Palians SC and Meevanapalana Weera SC.
The Horana Combined team will be selected from the following: Milinda Lahiruwan, captain, Senaka Sampath and Viraj Prasanna Perera (all Taxila), Gnanaka Lakmal, Roshan Perera, Kushan Edirimanna and Nishantha Banumusinghe (all Sri Palee), Madava Nishad Kanewala (Medankara), Gavinda Basnayaka (Meevanapalana), Prabash Dias, Janaka Warnakula, Sanjeeva Pushpakumara and Ranga Manoj (all Vidyartha).