Lions Roar Across All Grades – A Perfect Round 1 Sweep
- ALCC Chief Blogger
- Oct 21
- 2 min read
The Adelaide Lions opened the 2025/26 ATCA season with a statement across the club: three teams, three wins. From a mountain of first-innings runs to a ruthless new-ball burst and a nerveless chase, the Lions’ pride roared all weekend.
A2 – Kasun Silva’s Century and Hasith Lakshitha’s Five-For Power Lions to First-Innings Triumph
Winning the toss at Goodwood Oval, the A2 Lions chose to bat and immediately set the tone for the season. The top order piled on a commanding 9/374 (80 overs) led by Kasun Silva’s elegant 119 (183) and captain Rajith Premachandra’s brisk 88 (93). Their 143-run stand was the backbone of the innings, with Venusha Halahakoon (54 off 50) and Jordan Indraratne (36) adding the polish.
Goodwood’s reply never got going. Hasith Lakshitha’s fiery 5/8 tore through the line-up, aided by Damidu Maliduwa (2/11) and Alex Higgins (2/12), restricting the hosts to 37. Following on, Goodwood showed fight through Jackson Heidenreich’s 119, but the Lions had already sealed a strong first-innings victory, a result built on batting dominance and ruthless new-ball precision.
B1 — Openers set the tone as Lions smash 463 and cruise to a dominant win
At Pedlar Reserve, the B1s won the toss and bowled, knocking over SPOC for 186 (54.5) behind a disciplined unit: Kevin Speering 3/49, Shan Ranaweera 2/19, and Pinidu Weerasekara 2/46 led the way with tight lines and smart fields.
Then the batters turned the ground into a showcase. The Lions surged to 7/463 (102): Uvindu Weerasekara (134) and Gihan Karunasinghe (126) put on a towering opening platform, and skipper Ranaweera (68) added tempo through the middle. With the bowlers already in control, the massive total ensured a one-sided, dominant victory and a thunderous start to the campaign.
LO1: Sameera Sandaruwan and Chanidu Guruge Deliver Nerve-Steadying Win
Over at West Beach, LO1 produced a complete 40-over performance to beat Woodville South by four wickets. The opening burst set it up: Chanidu Guruge destroyed the top order with 5/20 (7.5) while Nadun Maliduwa kept the screws on with 3/28 (8), limiting the visitors to 149 (39.5) despite a dogged middle-order stand.
The chase wobbled early but was steadied superbly by Sameera Sandaruwan (59 off 74), with Mihiranga Gunasekara (25) providing crucial support before the lower order completed the job at 6/151 (33.1).
A Perfect Start to the Season
Three matches. Three wins. One united roar.
From Goodwood to Pedlar to West Beach, every Adelaide Lions side delivered a performance to be proud of — reflecting the club’s growing depth and spirit. Batters turned up with big hundreds, bowlers struck with precision, and every team displayed the kind of composure and unity that defines the Lions’ culture.
Club Captain Rajith Premachandra summed it up best:
“It’s more than just three wins, it’s a reflection of how far we’ve come as a club. Every team played for each other, and that’s what makes it special.”
As Round 2 approaches, the message from the Lions’ den is clear: the hunt has begun, and the pride is roaring early.
