Colombo Cricket Club gutted Police Sports Club by 187 runs with as much as 8.4 overs to spare in a one sided anti climax to the Sri Lanka Cricket Limited Overs Tournament 2025 on a run spree 387 to dismantling the cops for 200 in the day-night finals yesterday, with Pavan Rathnayake firing a magnificent Player of the Match unbeaten 158 off 94 balls packed by 13 boundaries and 9 sixes having taken first strike on winning the toss at their home grounds.
CCC batted out Police out of the contest by a superior batting line up with opening batsman Nishan Madushka making light of the early dismissals of Lasith Croospulle and Dhananjaya de Silva as he smashed 88 off 85 driven by 13 boundaries and a six with Kamindu Mendis striking 59 off 52 filled with 10 boundaries as CCC got to 155 when the latter fell to Charuka Jayathilake who had him caught by Priyamal Perera into 23.3 overs.
The final by and large belonged to the 22-year old Pavan Rathnayake whose sixer hitting spree entertained the crowd as the right-hander announced his arrival making a case for big time national recognition which is timely going by the national selectors drive to catching the best young. CCCs skipper was also in the thick of the runs stroking 53 in continuing his century form for Sri Lanka A on the tour of Australia when Rathnayake also hit the three figure bracket.
Police SC’s innings were reduced to 26 for 2 wickets as quicks Nuwan Thushara and Vishwa Fernando struck with the former having Dhanuja Induwara caught b Madushka for 10 followed up by Fernando removing Nadeera Balasooriya caught by Kosala for 11. The experienced Sri Lankan campaigner Kusal Janith Perera struck a quick 31 off 17 with 2 sixes and 3 boundaries. By the time he fell Police had lost 4 wickets for 82 after 13 overs when Chamindu Wjesinghe had him held by Croospulle. They recovered to 154 for 6 just past the halfway mark after 26.4 overs, thanks to a belligerent run a ball 57 by Priyamal Perera filled with 5 boundaries and a six, but CCC dug deeper 7 for 159 into 29.5 overs when Karannagoda trapped Charuka Jayathilake for 1 and when Perera was eighth out with the score 172 after 31.5 overs, CCC was well on their way to pocketing the title as Police last their last two wickets on 200.
Left arm orthodox Karannagoda, another product who cut his teeth in the game at Mahanama College, Colombo, was CCC’s most productive wicket taker with figures of 4 for 32.
Chief Scores
CCC 387/5 50 Overs
Pavan Rathnayake n.o. 158, Nishan Madushka 88, Kamindu Mendis 59, Sonal Dinusha 53, Chamindu Wijesinghe 10, Charuka Pramod 2/92, Charuka Jayathilake 2/65, Ashen Bandara 1/37.
Police SC 200 40.2 overs
Priyamal Perera 57, Kusal Janith Perera 31, Jason Fernando 26, Vishad Randika 22, Nalin Priyadharshana 19, Nadeera Balasooriya 11, Dhanuja Induwara 10, Inuka Karannagoda 4/32, Vishwa Fernando 1/25, Nuwan Thushara 1/44, Sonal Dinusha 1/27.