LEAGUE FINAL 2006

After a long league season two teams were finally set to play for the championship.

This year all but one of the 32 scheduled games has been played. In previous years matches were abandoned and results skewed as teams have dropped out. No more than two thirds of the scheduled games were played. So for the umpires to be setting up stumps this late in the year reflects a growing commitment on the part of teams to play out the league to its conclusion.

Corfu Tavern, lying second and six points behind Srilanka CC knew that they would have to win this game with maximum points to secure the title. Srilankan CC needed only to win.

Put in to bat Corfu did not start well loosing opener Vishnu in the first overs. Captain Kashif came in to replace him. The Srilankans needed to take this wicket early. Once set Kashif has the ability to quickly take the game away from the opposition.

He was hitting some big shots, before he fell caught behind for 13. Corfu have a long batting line up but this was undoubtedly a blow.

Next in Mati slowly started the reconstruction, hoping to build a partnership with opener Arin. For a while that looked promising, but then both fell to some lively Srilankan bowling. Opener bowler Chamara was doing his usual demolition job with some fierce fast high bouncing deliveries taking two wickets including that of Kashif. Niroshan, already pumped from a stunning run out, hitting the stumps from deep in the covers, was bowling straight and fast to take another two Corfu wickets.

No 5 and 6 Deezan and Bhatti fell without making any impression on the score, and Corfu, now in trouble, were looking to their tail to pull a respectable total out the embers of their innings. Arif did his best, first with Saptih and then in a more impressive partnership with Apis together putting 44 runs on the board. Srilankans had now turned to spin to try to guarantee two bowling points, but they paid for their ambition. Spinner Delipa had bowled Sapteh in his first over but now had to watch the ball sail over his head as Arif and Apis hit some fine boundaries. Eventually he was rewarded for his persistence forcing Arif into a false shot and giving up a fairly simple catch.

With Arif out on 21, Apis, top scoring on 23, and Nirosh played out the remaining few overs to deny the Srilankans their bowling points. But Corfu had managed only 111, not a score that would intimidate the Srilankan batting.

It was however a bowlers day. With a blustery wind and overcast sky the ball was moving unpredictably in the air and it would need some good sensible batting to make sure of reaching even this modest total.

Sampath and Chamara started attacking from the first ball and paid the penalty, but not before they had accumulated 26 runs. Corfu went through an epidemic of dropped catches, even Kashif spilling a sitter at mid off.

Dileepa and Niroshan were now at the crease. Dileepa has been the in form batsman this year rarely failing to make a score. It was vital for Corfus chances that he was not allowed to get going. Bowling and fielding with more conviction Corfu still could not make an impression on the partnership. Batting with equal determination the two steadily got on top, Dileepa hitting a brutal 32 and Niroshan an elegant 17.

By the time the partnership was finally broken, with Niroshan loosing his wicket, the game had been decided. There was less than twenty runs needed for victory.

Askar and Dileepa followed soon after, bettered by some aggressive bowling, with Kashif back to his old pace. It was left to brothers Nalaga and Danuka to bring the Srilankans home in the 24^th over.

At the awards ceremony that followed Corfus Nirosh was named bowler of season with best figures of 5 for 8 and 4 for 12, Dileepa was named best batsmen, with three half centuries and an average near 40.

The Srilankan team lined up for their individual medals

And captain Danuka accepted the league trophy on behalf of his team.

Corfu Tavern League runners up 2006

Srilankan CC league champions for 2006.