For the second successive season, the Under-23 Inter-Club 2-day tournament produced joint champions when BRC and Bloomfield played out a draw in the final, concluded at the CCC Ground yesterday.
For Bloomfield, it is the second time in as many years they have to share the title with another club. Last year, they were joint champions with CCC, and on this occasion with BRC.
After BRC had piled up a massive 402-8 declared, Bloomfield had a fight on their hands to survive for the rest of the second day. They slithered to 132-5, and it was only a 91-run stand for the sixth wicket between Dineth Pahasara, who batted doggedly for 57* off 169 balls (8 fours), and Nisala Abeyrathne (54 off 76 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) that saved the day for them as they finished on 250-7.
Earlier, spinners Sithuka Gunawardana (3/105 off 37 overs) and Tharushka Ashel (2/19) vended through the Bloomfield top order batting, causing some anxious moments in the camp.
BRC carried their overnight score of 340-5 to 402-8 before declaring. Sixth-wicket pair Yasiru Rodrigo (93 off 193 balls, 10 fours, 2 sixes) and Lithma Perera (62 off 69 balls, 9 fours) stretched their partnership to worth 110 before being separated. – [ST]
Scores:
BRC 402-8 decl. (o/n 340-5) (Isuru Fernando 39, Tharushka Ashel 144, Kusal Wijetunga 25, Yasiru Rodrigo 93, Lithma Perera 62, Dulaj Samuditha 3/53, Tharinda Nirmal 2/117, Kaveesha Piyumal 2/61)
Bloomfield 250-7 (Hasitha Amarasinghe 32, Mineth Premaratne 34, Asitha Wanninayake 29, Dineth Pahasara 57*, Nisala Abeyrathne 54, Sithuka Gunawardana 3/105, Tharushka Ashel 2/19, Vigneshwaran Akash 2/80)