Richmond and Trinity chalk up five wins
The ongoing Under 19 inter-school cricket season which is in full swing unlike in the previous season has seen only a few outright wins being recorded as most of the schools are playing safe with the intention of only winning in the first inning.
However two teams Richmond who was the most successful schools team last year and Trinity another team that has had been successful in the recent times have played the game with a positive approach.
The two teams have been able to record their fifth outright win for the season and have so been unbeaten. The recent wins by Richmond and Trinity were against Prince of Wales Moratuwa and Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda respectively.
Apart from these two wins there were seven other outright wins that were recorded in the week. The wins were achieved by Lumbini MV who chalked up their sixth outright defeating Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa. Even though it was their sixth win Lumbini MV have tasted two outright defeats.
The other wins were achieved by D.S. Senananayake College, St. John’s Jaffna, Tissa MMV Kalutara, St. Anthony’s Wattala, P. de S. Kularatne MV Ambalangoda and Tissa MMV Kalutara.
The win by Richmond was in fact a high scoring game with the foundation for Richmond’s victory being laid by Waruna Deshapriya whose six-wicket haul helped his side restrict the Cambrians to a score of 206.
Later half tons by Pasindu Bimsara, Wanindu Hasaranga and Sithara Gimhana enabled Richmond who was in a strong position on day one to post a formidable score of 305 for 8 declared.
Waruna continued to torment the Cambrian batting for the second time as he along with Charith and Saveen Nanayakkara who together shared the ten wickets bowled the home team out despite Shanuka Dulaj hitting his second half ton of the match for a score of 174.Richmond in pursuit of 76 runs for victory achieved it with the minimum of to record a seven wicket win. In contrast Trinity’s win against Dharmasoka MV expected when play stopped at the end of the first day. It was spinner Raveen Sayer who has been in top form and Charith Sudharaka who together laid the foundation with pair sharing eight wickets to bundle out the Sokians for a meager 62.
Trinity in their going in for quick runs made 173 while the Sokians batting the second time was struggling on 84 for 4. The second day’s play saw the Sokians putting in some resistance but was able to add only a further 104 runs. This left Trinity a simple run chase of 74 runs which they achieved but lost six wickets in the process.
Lumbini MV in fact came back into the game against Joseph Vaz having conceded a first inning lead to their opponents when they were able to muster only 165 in reply to the Vazians 187.
The Lumbini MV bowlers spearheaded by Ravindu Pushpika along with Upekshitha Karunaratne and Thanuka Dabare combined to skittle out their opponents for a low score of 101 and Lumbini MV set a target of 124 runs achieved it just 29.5 overs.
D.S. Senanayake College achieved their second outright win with an innings and 22 runs win over Isipathana. Harith Maduwantha who made an unbeaten 139 was their hero as his knock saw DSS post a mammoth score of 354 for 7 declared in reply to Pathana’s 167. Isipathana batting the second time with a deficit of 187 runs was unable to prevent the DSS from batting again as they were bowled out for 165.
The best individual knock of the week came from the northern district when Paramanantham Thuvarakaseelan of St. John’s Jaffna slammed a swashbuckling unbeaten knock of 202 in only 188 balls that included 26 boundaries and two sixes.
Supported by a ton by Arulanantham Ghanamirthan the Johnians posted a massive 482 for 9 declared which paved the way for their massive innings and 382 runs win over Union College Tellipalai.
Earlier Johnians left arm spinners Raviendran Lohathieswar and Arulanantham ran through the Union College batting to bundle them out for a paltry 62 and batting the second time Raviendran with a six wicket haul wrecked the opponents’ batting to again bundle them for another low score of 61. Raviendran ended with an impressive match bag of 10 for 33.
St. Anthony’s Wattala’s right arm spinner Shamsul Muneer had the best bowling returns of the week when he ended with a match bag of 13 for 83 against Sri Devananda MV Ambalangoda which saw the Antonians chalk up a five wicket victory. Shamsul in fact had a successful outing when he also made a half ton.
In the other two outright wins P. de S. Kularatne MV Ambalangoda coasted to an easy innings and 107 runs win over Sastrananda MV Dehiwela while Tissa MMV defeated Devapathiraja MMV Rathgama by seven wickets.
- MSA
Shamsul Muneer is BATA/ST Pick of the week
The pick of the week is St. Anthony’s Wattala’s right arm spinner Shamsul Muneer whose 8 for 41 and a match bag of 13 wickets paved the way for his side’s win.
|
