Eleven outright wins recorded in seven days action
The Under 19 inter-schools cricket season 2013/14 got into full swing following the Christmas vacation with most of the schools coming into action. From the matches played around the island we saw eleven outright wins being recorded.
The schedule is too hectic with some of the schools having to play two matches within one week or every other day after their games are completed.
Trinity, the one time schools cricket champions, was responsible for winning two games which they achieved within four days. Their first win was against St. Aloysius Galle whom they defeated by eight wickets and three days later they hit the daylights out of Nalanda crushing them by an innings and 72 runs.
Action between St. Sebastian’s and St. Benedict’s from last week - File pic
Prince of Wales who recorded a thrilling one wicket win over Mahinda, Zahira outclassing S. de S. Jayasinghe MMV Dehiwala by an innings and three runs, St. Aloyisius defeating Revatha MMV Balapitiya by an innings and 140 runs while St. Anne’s Kurunegala too secured an innings and nine runs win over Shashtrananda MV Dehiwala.
The other wins were achieved by Vidyartha who defeated St. John’s Panadura by an innings and 22 runs, Sri Dharmaloka MV Kelaniya overcame Asoka MV by four wickets, President’s College Maharagama beat Ananda Kottawa by 105 runs and St. Thomas Matara cruised to an innings and 99 runs win over St. Xavier’s Marawila.
The hero of Trinity was no doubt their right arm spinner Raveen Sayer who put in a fine bowling performance in both his sides’ victories. In the match against St. Aloysius Raveen ended up with figures of 7 for 26 and 5 for 71 to end up with a match bag of 12 for 97.
Raveen’s seven wicket haul sent the Aloysians reeling to 62 runs while half tons from Arjuna Jayasinghe and Naveen Ekanayake helped Trinity to make 196. St. Aloysius batting the second time again succumbed to Raveen’s spin and eventhough they succeeded in evading an innings defeat by making 148, they gave Trinity a simple target of 15 runs for victory.
In Trinity’s second win against Nalanda it was Raveen Sayer again as he laid the foundation for their innings win with a six wicket haul in the first innings as his impressive figures of 6 for 49 saw Nalanda folding up for 147.
Trinity in their turn having ended day one on 196 for 2 went on to post a formidable score of 303 for 6 declared thanks to half tons by Chathura Jayasundara and Kaveen Hiniduma. Nalanda batting the second time having to erase a deficit of 156 runs put in a pathetic batting performance.
They fared no better than in the first innings as they were bundled out for a meager 84 with Raveen returning the best figured of 3 for 12 to end up with a match bag of 9 for 61.
In the two matches Raveen finished with a match haul of 21 wickets which is an extra-ordinary feat by a schoolboy cricketer.
The match between Prince of Wales and Mahinda Galle ended in a closely contested affair. In fact Prince of Wales was in a strong position on day one having restricted Mahinda to a score of 208 and ending the day on 157 for 5.
The proceedings became Even Stevens in the morning session of play after Mahinda succeeded in grabbing the remaining five wickets of Cambrians to bowl them out for 212.
But the tide turned in favour of the Cambrians after the lunch break as Mahinda’s wickets began falling like nine pins with the result when they were bundled out for 127. Even then the home team who were left with a simple run chase of 124 runs almost underwent the same fate before reaching the target with one wicket to spare.
The picks of the winning side were Jayanga Peiris who ended with a match bag of nine wickets and Shanuka Dulaj who made a top score of 73 and finished with a match bag of eight wickets.
Zahira coasted to an easy win over S de S. Jayasinghe MMV. It was the team effort by the Zahirian players which helped them with Shehan Weerasinghe making a top knock of 95 helping them make a mammoth score of 326 for 9 declared. Their bowlers combined with effect to bowl them twice for scores of 220 and 103.
St. Aloysius Galle who underwent an innings defeat to Trinity came back to record an innings win over the hapless Revatha MMV Balapitiya. The foundation for their win was laid by right arm pacie Yasiru Gunawardena whose figures of 6 for 14 saw Revatha MMV tumbling for a score of just 35.
St. Aloysius guided by half tons from Ashen Bandara and Dilruk Hashan enabled them make a score of 273 for 5 declared and Revatha MMV left with a daunting task of making 238 runs to avoid an innings defeat failed as they were shot out for a paltry 98.
All-rounder Gayash Kumarasinghe was the star of St. Anne’s Kurunegala’s innings win over Shashthrananda MV Dehiwala. Gayash’s performance with the bat and ball helped the Annites dominate play on both the days.
St. Anne’s batting first posted a modest score of 231 with Gayash making a 65 and then Gayash who ended with figures of 6 for 40 and 6 for 25 helped them bowl out their opponents for 115 and 91, Gayash ended with a match bag of 12 for 65.
Nishan Hasarel, Punsara Wimalagunasekera and Tharindu de Silva were the heroes of Sri Dharmaloka MV Kelaniya’s four wickets win over Asoka MV while Dilan Gunasekera, Chanuka Prabath, Prabath Dhananjaya and Ganindu Ratnayake who finished with a seven wicket haul shone in President’s Maharagama’s 105 win over Ananda Kottawa.
Prince Dalugoda’s knock of 130 and an impressive match bag of 11 for 44 by right arm pacie Hashan Vimarshana were the highlights in St. Thomas Matara’s innings win over St. Xavier’s Marawila.
There was an interesting finish in the match between Royal Panadura and Gurukula MV Kelaniya which ended in a tie with both the sides making identical scores of 216.
In the other matches played Nalanda, Ananda, Gurukula MV, Asoka MV, Sri Jayawardenapura MV Kotte, Mahinda and Lumbini MV registered first inning wins. – MSA