BMS retains Red Bull Campus Cricket title
View(s):Business Management School (BMS) recorded a comfortable and thumping 9-wicket win to completely discard Saegis Campus in the final of the Red Bull Campus Cricket National Finals 2017 and defend their title at the P. Sara Oval Stadium in Colombo on Saturday. Put into bat first Saegis were given a torrid ride by the BMS bowlers and fielders before they were shot out for 100 runs, inclusive of five runs through the Energiser Over, with 17 deliveries remaining. The titleholders on the other hand wasted very little time to race to victory and retain their silverware, with 56 balls to spare.
BMS opener Geshan Wimaladharma, who claimed two wickets earlier on, laid the foundation to a thumping win as he guided his side with a blistering knock of 46 runs off 25 balls. Wimaladharma hit four boundaries and guided four hits over the rope before falling, as the only BMS victim of the final at 66 when their run chase was just 6.2 overs old.
Wimaladharma’s partner, Hashan Dumindu, had very little role to play when he was on crease, but accelerated soon after the loss of his partner. He remained unbeaten on 29 off 26 deliveries and hit two fours and a six. Sadeera Samarawickrama, who had been well in-form throughout the competition, was 17 not out when BMS reached the winning post. Samarawickrama faced 14 balls during his knock and hit a four and a six as Saegis bowlers were taken to the task by the defending champs.
Earlier on, put into bat first, Saegis were made to struggle from the very beginning as they went on to lose wickets at regular intervals. Janith Liyanage bowled only one over and claimed three wickets, off a hat-trick before BMS sealed the deal. National cap Wanindu Hasaranga and Wimaladharma claimed two wickets each while seamsters Ranitha Liyanarachchi, Koshan Danushka and skipper Dinuk Wickramanayake picked a wicket each.
“Geshan (Wimaladharma), Amila (Aponso), Wanindu (Hasaranga), Sadeera (Samarawickrama) and above all Niroshan (Dickwella) were key to our mission of retaining the championship and we are proud and humbled to have achieved our goal of representing Sri Lanka for the 2nd time at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in September. We also owe a lot to Niroshan (Dickwella) for being with us right throughout this tournament despite his commitments to the National Team” said BMS skipper, Dinuk Wickramanayake.
The search for a team to defend the island’s global Red Bull Campus Cricket title began, when Red Bull Campus Cricket Sri Lanka Finals kicked off on July 3. The stakes for Sri Lanka’s Red Bull Campus Cricket tournament this time around were higher than ever this year. Not only were 20 college sides set to take part, the winning outfit will progress to the World Finals, also to be held on the island in September – where expectations will be high for another rousing Sri Lankan showing.
Last year, Business Management School (BMS) put together a scintillating campaign at Galle International Stadium, to triumph the World Finals. This year, with the quality of cricket and fan interest was at an all-time high. Thurstan College and Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club grounds played host to the preliminary rounds, on July 3, 4 and 5, while the quarter-finals were played at the Thurstan ground on July 6 and 7. The action then moved to the P. Sara Oval – one of Sri Lanka’s most storied cricket venues – where the semi-finals and the final were played on July 21 and 22.
Now in its sixth year, Red Bull Campus Cricket will again see sides from Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, India, Pakistan, the UAE and newcomer Zimbabwe – each of whom will have qualified via their own national competitions. This will also be the fourth occasion in which Sri Lanka hosts the World Finals. - NA
