Leo and Army to clash in the final at Anuradhapura
ThePapareNews article
The grand final of the Sri Lanka Cricket-organised Major Club Twenty20 tournament is scheduled to be played tomorrow (26) at the Anuradhapura Samadhi Cricket Grounds.
Meeting each other in that grand final are the Leo CC side led by Supun Dilshan and the Army SC side led by Shehanda Soysa.
They qualified for this by defeating the Sebastianites C & AC side and the Negombo CC side respectively. Of these, it is also special that the Army SC players enter this match as the champions of this season's Tier B one-day tournament.
Leo CC team
Leo CC's journey so far
- Opponents · Match result
- 1 · Negombo CC · Leo CC won by 3 wickets.
- 2 · United Sothern CC · United Sothern CC won by 36 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
- 3 · Kurunegala SC · Leo CC won by 16 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
- 4 · Moratuwa SC · Leo CC won by 8 wickets.
- 5 · Chilaw Marians CC · Chilaw Marians CC won by 4 wickets.
Quarter-final round
- 6 · Navy SC · Leo CC won by 98 runs.
Semi-final round
- 7 · Sebastianites C & AC · Leo CC won by 59 runs.
The most reliable batter of the Leo CC side entering the grand final has been Nethma Karunaratne. Still only 23 years old, this left-handed batter has so far taken part in 5 matches and scored 165 runs with two half-centuries.
In addition, Ashan Fernando, who has scored 138 runs with two half-centuries in 7 matches, Romesh Suranga, who has scored 131 runs with a half-century in 7 matches, and Neluka Heshan, who has scored 113 runs in 7 matches, are at the forefront as batters strengthening the Leo CC batting line-up.
Among the bowlers, the most reliable has been 31-year-old left-arm spinner Sudara Dakshina. He has maintained that reliability by claiming 12 wickets in 7 matches so far.
In addition, Romesh Suranga and captain Supun Dilshan, with 9 wickets each, and Prasad Asanka, with 7 wickets, have been the main operators of the bowling attack.
Leo CC squad
Supun Dilshan (captain), Prasad Asanka, Ashan Fernando, Nethma Karunaratne, Neluka Heshan (wicketkeeper), Romesh Suranga, Vishwa Rajapaksa, Poorna Kalhara, Salindu Pathirana, Sudara Dakshina, Gayana Kahawiti, Oshada Gimhan, Githmin Kolambage, Samith Dilshan, Avintha de Alwis and Gayan de Silva.
Army SC team
Army SC's journey so far
- Opponents · Match result
- 1 · Kandy Customs SC · Army SC won by 69 runs.
- 2 · Sebastianites C & AC · Match ended without a result.
- 3 · Navy SC · Army SC won by 5 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
- 4 · Galle CC · Army SC won by 16 runs.
- 5 · Ragama CC · Army SC won by 63 runs.
Quarter-final round
- 6 · Moratuwa SC · Army SC won by 14 runs.
Semi-final round
- 7 · Negombo CC · Army SC won by 27 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The most reliable batter of the Army SC side entering the grand final has been 26-year-old right-handed batter Manushka Samith. He has so far taken part in 6 matches in this tournament and scored 187 runs with two half-centuries.
He also holds 2nd place among the highest run-scorers of the tournament so far, further strengthening this reliability.
However, with Thisara Perera, who represented the Sri Lanka national team, as well as Asela Gunaratne also representing this side, the depth of their batting line-up has been on show.
In addition to them, Ashan Sudarshana, who has scored 164 runs with a half-century in 6 matches, and Janaka Sampath, who has scored 128 runs with a half-century in 6 matches, are other talented batters in the Army SC side.
Janaka Sampath is a player who shows his skills with the ball as well. He is a leg-spinner who has taken 10 wickets in the 6 matches he has completed. In addition, Lilan Rangana, who has claimed 9 wickets in 6 matches, and Pathum Malitha, who has taken 8 wickets in 6 matches, can also be regarded as skilful soldiers in the Army SC bowling attack.
Army SC squad
Shehanda Soysa (captain), Ashan Sudarshana (wicketkeeper), Janaka Sampath, Manushka Samith, Asela Gunaratne, Thisara Perera, Ravindu Wijewardana, Krishen Aponsu, Lilan Rangana, Pathum Malitha, Sarath Madushka, Malka Madushanka, Isuru Dhananjaya and Sukhitha Dewthilina,
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Based on ThePapare reporting