St. Marys’ Kegalle shatter Dharmapala’s dreams
Gajitha scored 109
St. Marys College Kegalle won first innings points to shatter Dharmapala College’s dream of rising from the bottom spot of group A to retain their place in the elite division one of the schools cricket tournament next season.
According to statistics posted by batsman.com Anuradhapura Central College and Dharmapala College Pannipitiya may be demoted to division two of the all island schools cricket tournament next season
On winning the toss Dharmapala managed to restrict St Marys’ to a first innings score of 177 runs but could not capitalise and were dismissed for 129 runs. Only Malith Sandakelum (72) and Chamindu
Samarasinghe (24) were the only other batsman to enter double figures.
Daminda Chandrasiri 3/6, Lasith Udage 2/39 and Supun Kumara 2/34 bowled well for St Marys’.
Gajitha Kotuwegoda and Sajeewa Ranjith shared a 133 run partnership for the third wicket to stall the Dharmapala effort to bowl out the visitors for a low score and attempt to win the game outright and avoid being demoted to group 2 of the schools cricket tournament next season. Gajitha scored 109 runs off 137 balls with 12 hits to the ropes while left hand batsman Sajeewa Ranjith his second half ton of the game. St Marys’ went on to score 251 runs in their second essay with Dharmapala’s left arm leg spin duo Chamindu Samarasinghe and Dilshan de Silva captured nine wickets between them.
Dharmapala’s dream of even securing a few more points in the last nine overs of scheduled play were shattered due to a sudden thunder storm which put an end to the game.
-   St. Marys’ 177 in 63.2 overs (Sujith Kumara 24, Lasith Udage 20, Sajeewa Ranjith 56, Sandaru Sriyashantha 20, Chamindu Samarasinghe 2/35, Dilshan de Silva 2/31, Maheema Weerakoon 4/48) and 251 in 66.4 overs (Sajeewa Ranjith 53, Gajitha Kotuwegoda 109, Sandaru Sriyashantha 25, Dilshan de Silva 4/61, Chamindu Samarasinghe 5/115)
-  Dharmapala 129 in 46.4 overs (Malith Sandakelum 72, Chamindu Samarasinghe 24; Daminda Chandrasiri 3/6, Lasith Udage 2/39, Supun Kumara 2/24)