Left-arm spinner Isuru Gunasekera wrecked the Wesley batting with impressive figures of 7 for 40 to guide Ananda to an innings and 37 runs win in the Under 19 inter-school cricket encounter concluded at Campbell Park yesterday.

Ananda had put themselves in a match winning position after the pre-lunch session of play on the second day. Resuming from their innings at 134 for 2, they went in for quick runs and succeeded to end their innings on 238 for 6 declared. This was after bundling out Wesley for a paltry score of 98.

Wesley batting the second time with a deficit of 140 runs was unable to cope up with spinner Gunasekera and fell into deep trouble as they lost wickets at regular intervals and was struggling for survival.

The writing on the wall was there for the Wesleyites who were badly placed on 74 for 9, with just under a session of play left. Their resistance did not last long and were bowled out for 103 which saw Ananda record their second outright win of the season. St. Joseph’s too recorded their second outright win of the season when they defeated Maris Stella by an innings and 79 runs in the match concluded at Darley Road yesterday.

A St. Joseph’s fielder narrowly misses an early opportunity to get hold of a catch of Chathuranga Rajapakse, who top scored for Maris Stella in their first inning. - Pix by Amila Gamage

St. Joseph’s too was sitting pretty against Maris Stella just after the lunch break on the second day after bowling out Maris Stella who resumed from their overnight score of 104 for 6 for 114 in reply to the Josephians formidable score of 286 for 6 declared.

Maris Stella batting the second time with a deficit of 172 runs fared no better than the first innings as they put in a pathetic batting performance. They were made to struggle for their runs and the bowling combination of Fabian Fernando, Priyamal Perera and Arvinda Akurugoda was too much to handle and folded up for a meager 94.

St. Peter’s coasted to a convincing innings and 141 runs win over De Mazenod to record their first outright win for the season in the match which ended at Kandana. The Peterites after making a score of 252 restricted the Mazenodians to a score of 160 which gave them a lead of 92 runs.In the second innings the Petes went on the rampage and chalked up a score of 167 for 5 declared in just 30 overs with opener Dinith Thimodya leading the way with a fine knock of 91.

This left the Mazenodians a target of 260 runs but they were near to it and succumbed to a poor score of just 118 runs.
The match between Nalanda and Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda played at Campbell Place ended in a first inning win for Dharmasoka MV. The match got off to a late start after the lunch session with Nalanda resuming from their overnight score of 100 for 6 being able to muster only 126 in reply the Sokians score of 185.

St. Servatius Matara have already obtained a first inning lead over S. de S. Jayasinghe MMVDehiwela in a match which began at the Uyanwatte Stadium in Matara yesterday. The match will be continued today.

Ananda’s Nisal Fransisco top scored with an elegant 73 vs Wesley

At Campbell Park: Ananda beat Wesley by an inning and 37 runs

Wesley 98 (Shenon Jegaseelan 15, Andrew Parias 15: Sandaken Pathirana 5 for 38, Kasun Perera 2 for and 103 (Zenith Wickramanayake 28: Isuru Gunasekera 7 for 40)

Ananda (134/2 overnight) 238 for 6 declared (Nisal Fransisco 73, Lakkana Jayasekera 53, Thamalaka Athulathmudali 36, Sahan Arachchige 34: Jonathan Caderamanpulle 2 for 53, Pulsara Jayasena 2 for 59)

At Darley Road: St. Joseph’s beat Maris Stella by an inning and 79 runs

St. Joseph’s 286 for 6 declared (Priyamal Perera 81, Nirvana Abeysekera 70, Dylan Fernandopulle 38, Sadeera Samarawickrama 29, Duran de Alwis 23: Shehan Chathuranga 5 for 94)

Maris Stella (104/6 overnight) 114 (Chathuranga Rajapakse 61: Arvinda Akurugoda 4 for 19, Priyamal Perera 3 for 21, Fabian Fernando 2 for 12) and 94 (Rasanjaya Silva 25, Chathuranga Rajapakse 18: Malshan Rodrigo 3 for 10, Fabian Fernando 3 for 19, Priyamal Perera 2 for 26, Arvinda Akurugoda 2 for 27)

At Kandana: St. Peter’s beat De Mazenod by an inning and 172 runs

St. Peter’s 252 (Hashan Wanasekera 57, Sanjula Madushan 49, Dinith Thimodya 38, Sahan Nanayakkara 25, Oshan Karunaratne 22, Sachin Dalpadado 18: Lahiru Wickramasinghe 3 for 44, Shaluka Deemantha 3 for 48, Rukshan Fernando 2 for 74) and 167 for 5 declared (Dinith Thimodya 91, Oshan Karunaratne 26 n.o., Sachin Dalpadado 22 n.o.: Lahiru Wickramasinghe 2 for 34)

De Mazenod (86/4 overnight) 160 (Kavinda Manamperi 58, Malindu Fernando 18, Lahiru Wickramasinghe 53 n.o.: Sahan Nanayakkara 6 for 37, Chemila Obeysekera 3 for 37) and 118 (Shaluka Deemantha 19, Ishara Perera 17, LahiruWickramasinghe 42 n.o.: Vinu Mohotti 3 for 40, Sahan Nanayakkara 3 for 53, Thaneesha Weerakoon 2 for 3)

At Campbell Place: Match drawn

Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda 185 (Isuru Chathuranga 88, Thilan Maduranga 17, Ramesh Mendis 16, Pasan Piyaranga 15: Kavindu Bandara 5 for 29, Lahiru Wijeratne 2 for 32, Pramud Hettiwatte 2 for 58) and 99 for 5 (Ramesh Mendis 51, Pasan Piyaranga 17 n.o.: Pramud Hettiwatte 2 for 20)

Nalanda (100/6 overnight) 126 (Woshantha Silva 39, Avishka de Silva 24, Malinga Amarasinghe 21, Pramud Hettiwatte 16: Ramesh Mendis 4 for 38, Thilan Maduranga 3 for 10, Ushan Imantha 2 for 14)

At Matara:

S. de S. Jayasinghe MMV Dehiwala 116 (Dinuka Lakshitha 19, Ishan Dharshana 15: Chanuka Dilshan 4 for 20, Ruchira Jayatunge 2 for 14, Ashen Deemantha 2 for 14)

St. Servatius Matara 172 for 7 (Lochana Ruvin 65, Kushan Eranda 32, Ruchira Jayatunge 30 n.o., Rajantha Chandula 19 n.o.: Mahesh Peiris 3 for 14, Maduka Nimantha 2 for 62)