Moors SC and SSC meet again in a final after 19 years
ThePapareNews article
The final of the Major Club Limited Overs one-day cricket tournament, organised by Sri Lanka Cricket, is scheduled to be played as a day/night match tomorrow (11) at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
Moors SC, who defeated Colts CC in the semi-finals, and SSC, who beat CCC, will contest this match. The two teams previously met each other in 2007, when SSC emerged victorious.
Notably, SSC are competing in this season’s Major Club tournament after earning promotion as champions of last year’s Tier B tournament. They reached the finals of the 2007, 2012/13, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2023/24 tournaments and won 4 editions—in 2013/14, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2023/24.
This is the 3rd occasion that Moors SC have reached the final of this tournament. They previously appeared in the finals of the 2006/07 and 2007 tournaments but are yet to lift the trophy.
Avishka Fernando is set to captain SSC in this match, while Pasindu Sooriyabandara will lead Moors SC.
SSC enter this match with four specialist batters, led by captain Avishka Fernando. He has scored 441 runs in 6 matches so far in this tournament, including two centuries and a half-century. He is currently the tournament’s leading run-scorer and also tops the charts for the most centuries and most fours.
Nuwanidu Fernando comes into the match having scored 294 runs in 7 matches, including a century and two half-centuries, while Nipuna Dhananjaya has made 266 runs in 7 matches with a century and two half-centuries, and Ron Chandraguptha has scored 167 runs in 7 matches with a half-century.
Nipuna Dhananjaya is the team’s leading wicket-taker. He has earned the team’s confidence by claiming 12 wickets so far. Kasun Rajitha, who has taken 11 wickets, Pramod Madushan with 10, Dinura Kalupahana with 7 and Kavindu Nadeeshan with 6 could also feature as bowlers in the final.
SSC squad
Avishka Fernando (captain), Ron Chandraguptha, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nipuna Dhananjaya, Vishad Randika (wicketkeeper), Ranuda Somarathne, Dinura Kalupahana, Prabath Jayasuriya, Pramod Madushan, Mihiranga Silva, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Shevon Daniel, Rivith Jayasuriya, Malsha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha.
Moors SC enter this match with a dependable top order. Wicketkeeper Sohan de Livera is currently the team’s leading run-scorer, having amassed 293 runs in 6 innings across 7 matches in this tournament, including a century and two half-centuries.
In addition, Sadeera Samarawickrama has scored 281 runs in 5 innings across 6 matches, including a century and two half-centuries, Sithara Gimhan has made 263 runs in 6 innings across 7 matches with two half-centuries, and Janishka Perera has contributed 231 runs to Moors SC with three half-centuries.
Ramesh Mendis has also served as the team’s principal all-rounder, scoring 190 runs with a half-century and taking 5 wickets in 5 matches.
Milan Rathnayake, Shiran Fernando, Santhush Gunathilake and Malsha Tharupathi are also part of the Moors SC squad as all-rounders who have delivered strong performances.
Among them, Shiran Fernando currently sits atop the tournament’s wicket-taking chart with 18 wickets. Santhush Gunathilake has also impressed by claiming 13 wickets.
Moors SC squad
Pasindu Sooriyabandara (captain), Sithara Gimhan, Sohan de Livera (wicketkeeper), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janishka Perera, Ramesh Mendis, Malsha Tharupathi, Milan Rathnayake, Shiran Fernando, Santhush Gunathilake, Induwara Udena, Garuka Sanketh, Shehan Fernando, Ravishan de Silva, Hivin Kenula, Tharusha Navodya, Omesh Mendis, Vishara Fernando, Duvindu Tillakaratne and Theekshana Wickramasinghe.
You can watch live ball-by-ball coverage of this match on ThePapare.com, ThePapare 1 via Dialog TV channel 62 and the Dialog Play app.
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Based on ThePapare reporting