Can Rajans repeat recent successes?
Kingswood College Team
Having achieved success in 2011, 2012 and 2014 Dharmaraja College can be excused for saying that Big Match victories are no big deal. For Kingswood College it is a different matter entirely, as they have not won since 1958. The 109th encounter which gets underway on March 20 and 21 at the Pallekele Stadium will be slightly different regarding the matches mentioned above. In those games, Dharmaraja was clearly the better team and a win was expected. Their opponents Kingswood were going through a bad phase.
This time, however, the boys from Randles Hills by dint of hard work and perseverance have lifted themselves up and have become a fairly good combination. While it would be a little far fetched to speak of a Kingswood triumph, the latter could certainly shock and surprise. Statistically, too the Rajans are ahead, an unbeaten side, they have four outright wins seven first innings wins, three losses on the first innings and two no decisions.
Dharmaraja College Team
Kingswood have won once, lost thrice to Richmond, D.S. Senanayake and Kalutara Vidyalaya, taken the lead on four occasions conceded it on three and been involved in four no decisions. Skipper Tharindu Liyanage, who has been dogged by injury, has shown flashes of his old form. A tidy off spinner and an effective, if unorthodox, left-hander Liyanage has a way of responsibility.
Meedum Weerasinghe (best of 121) is a left-hander who did all in the 2014 match. He made an all attractive 90 against Wesley. His partner Upaumal Heenkende has made two eighties and seventy besides several other decent scores. Ailshan Walisundera after a 68 against Richmond promised much, but generally failed to deliver.
Kingswood bat deep and players such as stumper Ruwantha Hathurusinghe, Yasod Kavinda and Vimukthi Wijesiriwardena can certainly make runs. Pacies Avishka Chandrasiri and Mishan Athauda have also displayed their prowess with the bat.
Chandrasiri (best of 6-10) has taken a six for on two other occasions. Athauda has formed a good new ball pairing with Chandrasiri. The rest of the bowling could come under the Coach. Weerasinghe bowls a flighty off break as does the skipper. Wijesiriwardena, Dharmasena and Janith Tennakoon are the leggies. Latterly Walisundera has been chipping in with a few wickets.
Tanisha Weragoda’s Rajans possess all-rounders aplenty and bat up to the last man. The skipper found form later, but was good enough to make a 50 (Rahula) and a 79 against D.S. Senanayake. An off-spinner Weragoda best is 5-46 against Nalanda.
Kavinda Ratnayake has enjoyed tremendous success with the ball. The only double centurion, he also made 157 against Revatha Vidyalaya. He went past the fifty mark against Ananda, Nalanda, Maliyadeva and St. Anthony’s.
Opener Kavishka Dissanayake has a top score of 83 (Dharamapala) and 68 against the Anthonians in addition to several forties. He is an attacking left-hander. Deshan Gunasinghe scored 93 (Dharmasoka) and a 59. However his two efforts against Royal (91 not out and 73) are almost the stuff that legends are made of. Nivantha Herath (two sixties) Ruchira Pupulewatte and Kenuka Galahitiyawa are the others who can put runs on the board. It can be said that Dharamaraja need have few worries about the batting.
Upulitha Rajapakse (best of (6-81, Revatha) and Lahiru Samarakoon (5-46, Nalanda) handle the new ball. Left-arm spinner Venuka Galahitiyawa, who bowled his team to victory last year, has had another good season. He had figures of 12-111 against Maliyadeva. Another left-armer Ruchira Pupulewatte has two five-fors. He has also taken four in an innings five times. Assistance should be forthcoming from the likes of Asmitha Rajapakse and Gihan Vitharana.
Teams
Dharmaraja (from): Tanisha Weragoda (Capt), Kavinda Ratnayake, Venuka Galahitiyawa, Ruchira Pupulewatte, Kavishka Aissanaike, Deshan Gunasinghe, Nivantha Herath, Asmitha Rajapakse, Upulitha Rajapakse, Nipuna Herath, Lahiru Samarakoon, Gihan Vitharana, Bhavantha Udangamuwe, Chanuka Ranatunga, Kavinda Tillekeratne, Dhanushka Bandara.
Coach – Senaka Dissanaika, MIC – Manjula Udagadera, POG – Saliya Alexander. Kingswood (from): Tharindu Liyanage (Capt), Dilshan Walisundera, Meedun Weerasinghe, Rewantha Hathurusinghe, Avishka Chandrasiri, Upumal Heenkende, Mishan Athauda, Vimukthi Wijesiriwardena, Salinda Dharmasena, Yasod Kavinda, Shanuka Ratnayake, Ahamed Muvas, Janith Tennekoon, Prasanna Senaratne, Ganidu Kamburugamuwa, Sharada Ranasinghe.
Coach – Rohan Perera, Asst. Coach – Indika Fernando, MIC – Sarath Ekanayake.