Kandy Schools Cricket season ends with 50-Over Matches
Save for two or three ‘New’ Big Matches, the Cricket season in Kandy will effectively end with the Limited Over encounters between Kingswood and Dharmaraja and St. Sylvester’s and Vidyartha today at Pallekele and Asgiriya respectively.
Last year the Kingswood-Dharmaraja match was full of interest, but unfortunately, it ended with a tinge of controversy. Pursuing a target of 214, the boys from Randles Hill were on 209, when an over-zealous fielder performed a ‘Mankad’. The match was won, but the spirit of the game took a beating.
Dharmaraja’s 214/7 included a top score of 67 from Dulaj Bandara, 31 from Mithila Gayeshan and 20s from Isuru Dayananda, Sachchinta Senanayake and skipper Bavantha Udangamuwe. Seamer Utpala Jayalath held his nerve to emerge the best bowler with figures of 3/40. Off-spinner Saumya Piyasena finished with 2/48.
Skipper Ganidu Kaushalya made the highest score of 33, 2019 captain Deegayu Bandara an unbeaten 25, Duminda Damishka 30 and last weekend’s hero Hashika Gamage 29.
There is no gain saying that the Rajans are better equipped to pull off a win today. Yet, the Kingswood lads believe that a match is not won or lost, until the last ball has been bowled.
Players to watch out for are Senanayake, Bandara, Dayananda Warnakulasuriya, Ehelepola (Dharmaraja), Deegayu Bandara, Utapala Jayalath, Lakmal de Silva, Gamage and Harshana Wickremasinghe (Kingswood).
The 2018 Vidyartha-St. Sylvester’s Limited Overs at Asgiriya was a relatively straight-forward affair. Diminutive all-rounder Chaturanga Dilshan’s 30 was the backbone of his side’s total of 130. Pacies Nimsara Attanagalle and Pasan Hettiarachchi accounted for five wickets, while off-spinner Balasuriya picked up two.
The Sylvestrians duly achieved the not too daunting target of 131 for the loss of five wickets. This year’s skipper Nirmalan Pavitran was unbeaten on 50, pacie Nimsara Attanagalla made a brisk 35 not out and opener Chandula Jayakodi a sedate 23.
Low-scoring and tight, could be the verdict on this game.