Dharmaraja confident of win against Kingswood
View(s):School cricket in Kandy, which held center stage over the past six months, will conclude today at the Asgiriya Stadium when Dharmaraja engages Kingswood in their limited over match.
Looking back at the corresponding fixture in 2013, one recalls that the Randles Hill boys were cock-a-hoop at the break having dismissed their opponents for a paltry 79, but the Rajans came back strongly and rolled over Kingswood for 52 to win a stupefying match by 27 runs.
Unlike last year, this time round the Rajans take the field with confidence and a feeling of superiority generated by the smashing nine wicket win in last week’s Big Match, Chandimal de Silva, Kavinda Ratnayake, Deneth Lanka and Ramesh Ranasinghe all contributed with the bat.
Left arm spinner Venaka Galahitiyawa then turned the match on its head with an amazing analysis (19.1-10-18-7) to bowl Kingswood out for 79.
That result should never have been. On the first day, Kingwood’s top order attacked the bowling to be 103 for 1 at one stage. Meedum Weerasinghe, Shanuka Ratnayake, Skipper Supun Bandara and dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Ruwantha Hathuru Singhe made important contributions and Tharindu Liyanage did his bit in an alround capacity.
203 was a decent first innings total. In the final analysis, Kingswood may have got their runs too fast. This may have allowed their opponents time and space to plan out a counter strategy. Kingswood did well to contain the Rajans to a lead of 26 runs but lost their way thereafter.
Though poised for Big match and limited over double the Rajans should take nothing for granted. After all, the best laid plans of mice and men offten go astray.
- Aubrey Kuruppu