Two-time champions Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) from Sri Lanka were in favour with the rain grounds today, as they were declared winners over Singapore Emerging Stars (SES) after the heavens opened up to halt play on the first day of the 5th SCC T20 2017 at the Padang Cricket Ground.
SES won the toss and put the Sri Lankan side in to bat first. Weather conditions forced the match to be reduced to 17 overs a side, and MD Shanaka’s explosive 79 off 27 balls, supported by opener Minodh Banuka (50 off 39), ensured that SSC set a mammoth target of 192/4 for the local side. The SES bowlers were slammed to all parts of the ground, with Nepal national cricket player Mehboob Alam taking 2 wickets for 39.
In response, SES were at 26/2 after 5.5 overs when the rain stopped play for good. When it was clear the delay would be a long one, the Duckworth-Lewis method handed SSC the win with SES 166 runs short of the target.
While circumstances may have led to the SSC win, their stellar batting performance showed they are one of the favourites to win the tournament. SES should put the unfortunate loss behind them and focus on winning their remaining matches. Their bowlers, in particular, need to raise their game.