Fancied Trinity up against determined Antonians
Trinity
Two strong, all-round combinations- Trinity and St. Anthony’s- will contest for supremacy when the 101st Big Match commences at Asgiriya on March 9 and 10.
Batting lineups that run deep, and two spin combinations that have wreaked havoc, make for a match that should be of absorbing interest. Perhaps, Trinity has the edge in terms of pace bowling, with the presence of Rashmika Dilshan, Sri Lanka’s Under (U)-19 paceman.
Hasitha Boyagoda, another U-19 player who distinguished himself at the fog end of the ICC Youth World Cup, leads Trinity. His appearances for the school were limited, but he did manage two 100s. Where skill and technique are concerned, Boyagoda stands out. His is a wicket the opponents will give their eye-teeth for.
Other players have come to the fore in his absence. Hasintha Jayasuriya has a 100 and six 50s. His 101 (vs St. Peter’s), 88 (vs St. Joseph’s) and 74 (vs Thurstan) were important knocks. Pubudu Bandara, a fine striker, raced to an unbeaten 127, in a run chase against St. Aloysius. His 76 and 68 against the Thomians were dominant knocks.
Trevon Percival, who led the team in Boyagoda’s absence, made a vital 112 not out against the Bens. He has four 50s. Not yet 16, Abishek Anandakumar (110 vs Nalanda) is a young talent that should serve the school well in the future.
Avishka Senadheera with three 50s and stumper Ashan Lokuketiya (72 not out against the Thomians) underline Trinity’s batting depth.
As a result of playing so few matches, Dilshan has not done anything eye-catching. Yet, he remains a dangerous operator. Percival has put his hand up and bagged a couple of five-fors. Seamer Ruvin Pieris has a best of 5-29 against Wesley.
Left arm spinner Vimukthi Nethumal has been the outstanding performer, by far. A match bag of 10 wickets (7-57 in the 1st innings) against Royal, was outstanding. That apart, he bagged 5 wickets on 6 occasions. He could be the biggest threat to the Antonians.
Off-spinner Kavishka Senadheera has complemented Nethumal well. He has two 6-wicket bags. Spectators are bound to see a lot of spin, with the Antonians not short of that commodity too.
Trinity remained unbeaten, while scoring wins over St. Servatius, St. Benedict’s, Bandaranaike Central, Moratuwa Vidyalaya, Wesley and St. Aloysius.
Janidu Himsara, an all-rounder, leads the Antonians. Probably, batting is his stronger suit. His innings of 84 against the Josephians was special. He has quite a few 30s besides that. A medium pacer who opens the attack. His best effort was 5-51 against St. Anne’s.
St. Anthony's
Theeksha Gunasinghe, who operates behind the stumps, has really distinguished himself in front of them. His unbeaten 101 against Dharmaraja was his best. He missed another by 8 runs. Did not come good against Trinity last year, so he has some runs to make.
Sunera Jayasinghe (best of 133) has been a solid, consistent performer. His four 50s have been in addition to other useful contributions. Dion Stouter, a late starter, made 115 against Zahira. He has three 50s to his credit.
Exciting all-rounder Navodya Vijaykumar is a key player in the Antonian lineup. He has made six 50s, including 2 in the 80s. He ran through the Rajans (6-43) to set up the win. His brisk medium pace has fetched him two five-fors, in addition.
Kalhara Senaratne, a left-hander, made an unbeaten 119 in the Kingswood game. His off-spin fetched him a best of 6-41 (Thakshila). Opener Mohamed Absar made a 100 in that run-feast against Revata. He has another 50. Utility player Jamashana Abeykoon produces runs and wickets when they are needed. Gihan Achintha, a leggie, has not had much bowling. However, he has made runs in the later order.
Six-fors, seven-fors, eight-fors, nine-fors – you name it — little Nimnaka Jayatilleka has done it all. The left arm spinner has been nothing short of sensational. He has taken 10 wickets or more in a match four times. 9-48 (match bag of 13-88) has been his most outstanding effort vs Wesley. Noteworthy achievements are 7 (vs Royal), 6 (vs Vidyartha), 8 (vs Zahira) and 5 (vs Kingswood).
The Antonians beat Wesley, Thakshila, Kingswood, St. Anne’s, Dharmaraja, Royal Panadura, Revata, Zahira and Kalutara Vidyalaya. Their record was, however, tarnished by a 54-run loss to St. Peter’s.
Trinity (from): Hasitha Boyagoda (Captain), Trevon Percival, Rashmika Dilshan, Hasintha Jayasuriya, Vimukthi Nethumal, Pubudu Bandara, Avishka Senadheera, Kavishka Senadheera, Ruvin Pieris, Ashan Lokuketiya, Abishek Anandakumar, Chanuka Kumarasinghe, Himanga Suriyampola, Narendranath Ashok Kumar, Uvindu Imaldana, Jeff Weerasinghe.
Coach: Kavinda Jayasuriya – Master-in-Charge: Dhammika Kulasuriya
St. Anthony’s (from): Janidu Himsara (Captain), Theeksha Gunasinghe, Sunera Jayasinghe, Dion Stouter, Mohamed Absar, Jamashana Abeykoon, Navodya Vijaykumar, Kalhara Senaratne, Gihan Achintha, Sateesh Wickremaarachchi, Nimnaka Jayatilleka, Sasith Himdika, Mohamed Kameel, Gayan Samarasinghe, Savin Weerasinghe, Pramuditha Panditharatne
Coach: Sampath Perera – Master-in-Charge: Lenin Jayasinghe