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by Dinesh Weerawansa

Colombo Colts CCb were 34 runs short of a first innings lead over SSC with seven first innings wickets in hand after the first day's play of their BSSCL Inter-Club Premier Division Super League four-day final begun at SSC grounds yesterday.

The powerful SSC batting line-up, which hit a mammoth 561 all out in last week's semi-final, was shattered to pieces as they were bowled out for 216 runs on the opening day. Colts CC, in reply, were strongly placed at 183 for 3 after half centuries from opener Chaminda Mendis, skipper Sajith Fernando and Sri Lanka 'cap' Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Fernando won an important toss and had no hesitation in electing to field first. His two opening bowlers - Chaminda Vaas and Dulip Liyanage, both Sri Lanka players, got into action immediately. They had two early tight spells to run through the SSC top order to have the hosts reeling at 67 for 5 after 18.2 overs with Vass capturing three wickets and Liyanage two.

SSC's misery started when the total was on ten when Liyanage removed opener Avishka Gunawardena for a four-ball 'duck', caught behind by Kaluwitharana. In the very next over Marvan Atapattu joined Gunawardena in the dressing room after fellow Sri Lanka player Vass trapped him leg before for nine - SSC 12 for 2.

Vass accounted for two more wickets, that of Tharanga Paranavitharan (7) and Tilan Samaraweera (0), in similar fashion - trapped lbw, to have SSC reeling at five down for 67.

Then came a fighting effort from Sri Lanka Test batsman Mahela Jayawardena, who followed his last week's marathon knock of 274 against Tamil Union, with a superb 137 runs off 176 balls with one six and 15 fours. Having come in at two down, Jayawardena was the last man out in the SSC innings when he was stumped by Kaluwitharana off Muthumudalige Pushpakumara.

Jayawardena and Hemantha Wickremaratne shared a 90-run partnership before the last five wickets went for 63 runs. 

It looked as if SSC was determined to defend that unimpressive score when lanky Nuwan Zoysa trapped Shantha Kalawitigoda for one with the total on 10. But skipper Fernando joined opener Mendis to share another productive 81-run second wicket stand, which was followed by another 90-run partnership between Fernando and Kaluwitharana. Mendis made 56 off 61 balls before becoming the second lbw victim in the Colts innings.

Kaluwitharana made his intentions clear with his usual aggressive batting, racing to his half century in just 48 balls to end the day on 51 n.o. But SSC were able to get the prize wicket of Fernando in the last over of the day, when he was caught by Atapattu off Zoysa for 73, made off 99 balls.

SSC 1ST INNINGS

M. Atapattu lbw b Vaas				  9  
A. Gunawardene c K'witharana b Liyanage	  	  0 
M. Perera c Kulatunga b Liyanage		  7 
M. Jayawardene st K'witharana b P'kumara	137
T. Paranavitana lbw b Vaas			  7  
T. Samaraweera lbw b Vaas			  0  
H. Wickramaratne c Mendis b P'kumara	 	 37 
M.N.Silva c Fernando b Pushpakumara		  1   
N. Zoysa c Mendis b Pushpakumara		  0 
I. Ratnaweera b Vaas			  	  0  
R. Perera not out				  2

Extras (b 4, lb 5, w 2, nb 5)			 16

Total (all out, 53.2 overs)			216

Fall of wickets: 10 (Gunawardene), 12 (Atapattu), 42
	        (W.M.S.M. Perera),59 (Paranavitana),
	        67 (Samaraweera),153 (Wickramaratne),159
                 (Silva), 159 (Zoysa), 198 (Ratnaweera),  
	        216 (Jayawardene). 

Bowling: Vaas 15-0-38-4 (1w), 
	Liyanage 11-1-53-2 (1nb, 1w), 
	Upashantha 6-0-36-0 (4nb), 
	Hettiarachchi 4-0-10-0, 
	Weeraratne 6-0-27-0, 
	Pushpakumara 11.2-1-43-4.

COLTS CC 1ST INNINGS  
                             
S. Kalavitigoda lbw b Zoysa			 1 
C. Mendis lbw b Ratnaweera			56 
S. Fernando c Atapattu b Zoysa			73 
R. Kaluwitharana not out			50 
K.Weeraratne not out				 2 

Extras (nb 1)				 	 1

Total (3 wkts at stumps, 38 overs)	        183

To Bat: M. Pushpakumara, C. Vaas, E. Upashantha, 
        D. Liyanage, J. Kulatunga, D. Hettiarachchi.

Fall of wickets: 10 (Kalavitigoda), 91 (Mendis),
	        181 (Fernando).

Bowling: Zoysa 9-2-20-2 (1nb), 
	R. Perera 8-0-62-0, 
	Samaraweera 10-0-52-0, 
	Silva 3-0-18-0, 
	Ratnaweera 8-1-31-1.

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