Pawan Devinda and Dhanushka Sandaruwan reach 1000 runs and 100wkts
View(s):Under 19 review
The high-riding Richmond College Galle cricketers are on cloud nine and going from strength to strength in the ongoing Under 19 inter-school cricket season, as they chalked up their ninth outright win with a nine-wicket victory over Dharmaraja, in a match played over the weekend.
School cricket is in full swing right now.
The Richmondites in fact recorded back-to-back wins within a space of five days as before their win against Dharmaraja they outclassed Revatha MMV Balapitiya by eight wickets.
The Galle boys are the talk of the town at the moment in the school cricket arena and they deserve the praise they are getting. As once mentioned in an earlier review they were on the verge of recording their sixth victory and don’t be surprised as by the time you read this they would have chalked up their tenth win against Dharmapala.
Of course most of the credit should go to their dedicated coach and a diehard old boy of the school Dhammika Sudharshana who has left no stone unturned to produce a committed and disciplined team which the others should take note of.
Apart from the two outright wins by Richmond there were 16 other outright wins recorded around the island. St Peter’s and Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda achieved their sixth with wins over St Anthony’s Katugastota and Dharmapala which was their second defeat of the week.
The most surprising win of the week was achieved by Gurukula MV Kelaniya who beat Zahira by ten wickets while Royal Panadura secured their first tournament win when they defeated S. de S. Jayasinghe MMV Dehiwela by 106 runs.
Mahinda outclassed Maris Stella by an innings while Joseph Vaz got the better of Lumbini MV by nine wickets and Thurstan overcame Maliyadeva by 88 runs. Ananda at last saw the winning post when they defeated minnows Revatha MMV Balapitiya by seven wickets but even then they cannot be satisfied with the victory as they were made to fight for it.
In the lower division St Mary’s Kegalle though recorded their eighth win which was against St Xavier’s Marawila they were comprehensively beaten by Rahula Matara by eight wickets in the next match played four days later.
President’s College Rajagiriya secured their second successive win in five days they first beat St John’s Nugegoda and then followed it up with a win against St Anthony’s Wattala.
Vidyartha and Kingswood warmed up their big match scheduled to be played next week with outright wins over Taxila Central Horana and Ibbagamuwa Central. In the other matches played during the week ending saw Bandaranayake MMV Gampaha, St Sebastian’s Katuneriya, Dharmaloka MV Kelaniya and Rahula recording wins over St John’s Panadura, P. de S. Kularatne MV Ambalangoda, St Anne’s Kurunegala and St Mary’s Kegalle respectively.
The other matches played ended in first inning wins for St Joseph’s over Ananda, St Benedict’s (Isipathana), Mahanama Colombo (Sri Sumangala Panadura), while Wesley and St Sebastian’s featured in a tie and later Wesley registered a first inning win over Holy Cross Kalutara.
Moratu MV put in a fine performance against St Anthony’s Katugastota who had a narrow escape of undergoing their third successive defeat and Isipathana got the better of Nalanda.
Meanwhile two cricketers Pawan Devinda of Mahanama Colombo and Dhanushka Sandaruwan of St Mary’s Kegalle became the first two to reach the milestone of 1000 runs and 100 wickets.
Pawan Devinda achieved the feat in his schools first inning win over Sri Sumangala Panadura with a knock of 83 played at Panadura. Pawan’s feat includes a double ton against Dharmapala Pannipitiya.
Dhanushka Sandaruwan achieved the feat in the match against Rahula Matara which was played at the Sooriyawewa Stadium with a figure of 5 for 49 which unfortunately his team lost the match outright.
The friendly and tournament matches of the school cricket season is at its tail end but apart from the two players mentioned it is unfortunate to see the other players, though playing between 15 to 18 matches being unable to reach the milestone of 1000 runs and 100 wickets.
However the focus in now the traditional big matches being played around the island. The three encounters played for over a century the Royal-Thomian, St Servatius Matara and St Thomas and St John’s Jaffna against Jaffna Central played over three days are scheduled to get underway this week. MSA
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