Slimline SC retains WCA challenge trophy

Unbeaten Slimline Sports Club beat Colts Sports Club by 68 runs in an anti-climax final of the Women's Cricket Association Challenge Championship Tournament to retain the title at the Moors SC grounds, Braybrooke Place.

The encounter was expected to be a thriller with the two teams being tipped to come out with improved performances after their first round encounters.

Chasing a victory target of 176 runs to win in 38 overs Colts lost wickets at regular intervals and were nowhere in contest for the trophy being bowled out for 107 runs in 31.2 overs. Their wickets tumbled mainly due to poor cricket, with three players succumbing to run-outs and two to stumpings.

Colts were also at a disadvantage of having being penalised two overs in the 40-over final for slow over rate.

Sudarshani Sivaratnam top scored with 25 with Hiroshi Edirisinghe(22) and Michelle Pereira (19) chipping in with valuable knocks.

Ramani Perera (2/14) and Champa Priyangika (2/25) spearheaded the bowling attack to take two wickets a piece.

Early in the day, Slimline electing to bat first scored 175 for nine in 40 overs. Only Ganga Silva (46) and Kalpana Liyanarachchi (41) batted well against the Colts bowling. Silva struck four boundaries while Liyanarachchi had five fours. Four players were run out bringing the total number of such dismissals to seven in the match.

Sudarshani Sivaratnam (3/26) excelled in the bowling too.Vanessa Bowen (1/25) and Lalani Priyadarshani (1/26) were the other wicket takers.