Ace Capital Cricket Club and Colombo Cricket Club played out a tense draw in the Major League Tournament, with Colombo falling just short after a nervy final over.
Sri Lanka’s premier domestic first-class tournament saw a thrilling game being played out in Colombo. The clash between Ace Capital and Colombo Cricket Club seemed to be headed one way after the former took a 99-run first innings lead.
Led by keeper Ranesh Silva’s 76, Ace Capital posted 331 on the board, and then ended with a first innings lead after the opponents were bowled out for 232. But in their second essay, Ace Capital could only post 119, as Nishan Peiris picked up 5-49. It gave Colombo a target of 219 to chase in 25 overs on the third and last day for their first win of the Super Eights.
Super Four - Match 10, Colombo Cricket Club vs Ace Capital Cricket Club
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- Ball by ball Over
Colombo fall just short of a remarkable win
Colombo got off to a steady start, making 108 for the first wicket, with both openers, Nishan Madhushka and Lasith Croospulle, making fifties at over run-a-ball. However, with Madushka's departure in the 13th over, Colombo suffered a mini-collapse, losing three wickets for 31 runs. Skipper Sonal Dinusha and Pavan Rathnayake came together briefly, but the former’s dismissal led to a quick flurry of wickets.
At 161-4 in 19.3 overs, Colombo had the tough task of chasing down 58 runs in 33 deliveries. Rathnayake seemed to be going for the total, scoring 57 in 31 balls, with the help of four sixes. They needed 42 runs off the last three overs, which was reduced to 21 off the last two, after Rathnayake hit Raveen de Silva for 21 runs in the 23rd over.
He got 14 off the penultimate over, leaving Colombo with seven to get off the last with four wickets in hand, but without Rathnayake to take strike on the first ball. This proved disastrous, as Chamindu Wijesinghe was out on the first ball.
New batter Anjala Bandara took a single off the first ball that he faced, but the bowler, Roshan Jayatissa, kept things tight as the next three balls went for four runs. Colombo needed two on the last ball for a win, but Rathnayake was dismissed, leaving them just short of what would have been a remarkable run chase.
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