Kottehewa and Arnold steern NCC to limited-overs title

Sri Lankan discards Upul Chandana and Russell Arnold steered NCC to the Premier limited-over title with a six-wicket win in the final against Moors SC at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Chandana, the NCC captain, took 5 for 34 with his legspin and Arnold used his experience to guide them to victory from a difficult position at 34 for 3 by scoring an undefeated 67 off 91 balls with seven fours and a six.

However NCC's matchwinner was 21-year-old allrounder Tharaka Kottehewa who won the Man-of-the-Match award. He scalped four of the top five Moors batsmen for 48 runs with his right-arm medium pace and then partnered Arnold in an unbroken 90-run stand off 113 balls. Kottehewa scored 35 off 54 balls with three fours.

After being asked to bat, Moors never recovered from losing their first three wickets in three balls for no runs after an opening stand of 40. Their batting failed to gain any momentum and they were all out for 167 in the 42nd over. Hemantha Boteju was the top scorer with 43 off 52 balls.

The NCC top order wobbled against Moors' three-pronged pace attack before Arnold and Kottehewa saw them through.