Season opens with a gaping yawn at SSC
Thurstanites celebrate as Isipathana batsman Sanjula Abeywickrama is bowled by Isitha Wijesundara - Pic by Amila Gamage
It was a repeat of last year’s encounter in the 53rd Big Match between traditional rivals Thurstan and Isipathana which concluded at the SSC ground yesterday where the two teams ended proceedings by batting an innings each both days which saw the game ending in another drab draw.The outcome of the match was known when play ended on day one after Thurstan being put into bat by Isipathana skipper Salinda Ushan plodding the whole day facing 95 overs to end with a score of 252 for 3.
The highlight of the first day’s play was an unbeaten knock of 125 by opener Kasun Abeyratne. The supporters of both sides were anticipating a Thurstan declaration on day two, but it was not to be as they opted to bat again and faced another 15 overs adding 39 runs before declaring their innings on 291 for 8.
Most probably the Thurstanites was expecting overnight batsman Kasun Abeyratne to break the series batting record of 150 n.o. made by Saman Nishantha of Isipathana in 2002 but that was also not to be as he fell short by three runs being dismissed for 147 and had to satisfied by breaking the 25 year old Thurstan batting record of 146 n.o. made by Kamal Mahendra in 1990.
However when the Isipathanian batsmen went into the crease it was going to be of academic interest as the game had already been killed due to the negative approach.
The interest was going to be the star Isipathana batsman Sanjula Abeywickrama and he did not disappoint the crowd as he obliged with a top knock of 75 with 12 boundaries and was associated in two partnerships — 76 runs for the fourth wicket Vishad Randika and the other of 65 runs for the fifth wicket with Pramod Maduwantha as Isipathana ended the day making 222 for 8 in 78 overs
Scoreboard
Thurstan 1st innings
Kasun Abeyratne lbw b Dilshan 147
Salinda Samaranayake c
Abeywickrema b Maduwantha 12
Sajith Gunatilleke
c Randika b Fernando 35
Charana Nanayakkara
lbw b Maduwantha 37
Imesh Viranga b Maduwantha 27
Nipun Lakshan St Randika
b Maduwantha 4
Pansilu Deshan c Sanjula b Dilshan 2
Isitha Wijesundara not out 2
Thushal Madusanka lbw b Dilshan 00
Extras (52, lb3, nb15, w2) 25
Total (8 wickets declared:110 overs) 291
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Samaranayake), 2-107 (Gunatilleke), 3-192 (Nanayakkara), 4-263 (Viranga), 5-279 (Lakshan), 6-282
(Deshan), 7-291 (Abeyratne), 8-291
(Madusanka).
Bowling: Neranjan Wanniarachchi 15-1-55-0, Ayana Siriwardena 8-2-14-0, Lahiru Dilshan 41-9-86-3, Pramod Maduwantha 31-4-60-4, Iwanka Sanjula 7-0-27-0, Heshan Fernando 13-1-25-1, Salinda Ushan 5-0-13-0.
Isipathana 1st innings
K. P Nanayakkara b Wijesundara 10
Salinda Ushan c T. Madusanka
b Lakshan 1
Heshan Fernando c Wijesundara
b Lakshan 2
Sanjula Abeywickrama run out 75
Vishad Randika b Wijesundara 43
Pramod Maduwantha not out 44
Pathum Nissanka
c Lakshan D. Madusanka 15
Ayana Siriwardena
lbw b D. Madusanka 19
Iwanka Sanjula b D. Madusanka 1
Neranjan Wanniarachchi not out 9
Extras (b2, nb5, w2) 9
Total (8 wickets: 78 overs) 222
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Ushan), 2-15 (Fernando), 3-15 (Perera), 4-91 (Randika), 5-156 (Abeywickrama), 6-172 (Nissanka), 7-172 (Siriwardena), 8-206
Bowling: Nipun Lakshan 9-2-36-2, Isitha Wijesundara 13-3-33-2, Charana Nanayakkara 4-0-7-0, Thushal Madusanka 15-5-31-0, Dilan Madusanka 23-5-63-3, Ayesh Weeraratne 10-0-37-0, Pansilu Deshan 3-1-9-0.