Sports

Battle for top four positions in groups intensifies

With the Major Club 3-day League reaching the halfway mark the battle is on amongst the 14 clubs to try and finish in the top four of each of the two groups to qualify for the Super Eights.

Each club plays a maximum of six matches in their group and already six of them have played four matches each which leaves them with only two to try and qualify. The rest of the clubs have three games in hand.

Police SC who had a free weekend retained the lead in Group A after second placed Colts couldn’t make much headway in their high scoring game against CCC last week which ended in a no-decision. Thereby Police SC will look to increase the gap of 10 points that separates them from Colts when they meet third placed Nugegoda SWC at the Galle Cricket Stadium in one of the six matches commencing today. Nugegoda SWC suffered their second defeat of the season when they lost in the first innings to Bloomfield. Their batting was dismantled by Bloomfield’s three-prong spin attack of Jeffrey Vandersay, Duvindu Tillakaratne and Ravindu Fernando.

With Colts having a free weekend, gives the opportunity to CCC and Bloomfield to advance in the standings. Both teams have easy games from which they should get full points off. CCC play bottom of the table Chilaw Marians CC at Dambulla. Chilaw Marians CC are the only club without a win, and they come up against a formidable CCC lineup that last weekend ran up the highest total of the season.

Defending champions Bloomfield finally recovered from losing their first two matches to beat Nugegoda SWC in the first innings with only time preventing them from taking full points. Bloomfield will play Panadura SC at the Surrey Village grounds, Maggona.

The absence of Moors SC this weekend gives an opening to the next three teams behind them – BRC, NCC and Kurunegala YCC to bridge the 14-point gap and possibly head Group B. Second placed BRC who rather surprisingly went down to Badureliya SC have a chance to make amends when they meet Ace Capital CC at the P Sara Oval. The venue provided a run fest last weekend with CCC and Colts running up 1048 runs for the loss of 14 wickets.

NCC have a great chance of grabbing full points when they take on Badureliya SC at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium, Sooriyawewa. Badureliya SC picked up their first win when they surprised BRC and NCC should be wary of that fact although they have a stronger unit with several national players in their side.

Two back-to-back setbacks in their last two matches sees Tamil Union at the bottom of Group B and struggling to make an impact in the tournament. They are up against Kurunegala YCC at the NCC grounds and should try and make the most of it if they are to finish in the top four and make it to the next round.

Source: Daily FT