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Thurstan - Isipathana ends in listless draw
By M. Shamil Amit
The 40th big match between Thurstan and Isipathana at the SSC grounds yesterday ended in a listless draw. This was also an Elephant Lemonade Cup cricket encounter and the Isipathanians gained a first innings win. The feature of the match was an elegant 92 scored by Saman Nishantha who established a new batting record in the traditional encounter last year. He was unlucky to miss his second successive ton but in the two big matches he has played he has accumalated 286 runs.

When the match started yesterday morning with Isipathana on 115 for 3 they lost a wicket in the third ball of the first over when Chanuka Perera got himself run out with four runs added to the overnight score. Skipper Oshadee Nawaragodagedera joined Saman and these two added a further 35 runs when at 155 star batsman Saman was caught by Charith Wickramaratne off the bowling of spinner Jeewan Chamikara for a well compiled 92 made in 169 balls which had 15 boundaries and one six.

Skipper Oshadee had two more useful partnership, the first with Sanjaya Dilruksha for the sixth wicket which yielded 35 runs. Sanjaya's contribution was 25 runs made in 36 balls and a seventh wicket partnerships, of 40 runs with Chaminda Prasad who made 26. With Chaminda's dismissal the Isipathana scoreboard read 240 for 7 wickets. They lost two more wickets for the addition of 19 runs with Oshadee being the ninth man out after having played a long innings of 41 in 142 balls consisting of four boundaries. The last did not last long and the innings ended on 259. Opening bowler Amila Umayangana had the best bowling figures for Thurstan taking 4 for 42 in 14 overs.

When the Thurstan side went in to bat in their second essay all their supporters were surprised to see skipper Damith Indika walking out with Thilina Masmulla to open the innings. And this not being his usual batting position he did not last even a ball when he was clean bowled by Chatura Panawenna in the very first ball of the second over. Thilina with the loss of his skipper went all out but he too did not last long when he was caught at mid on by Gayan Seneviratne off Panawenna for 21. Thurstan went to tea on 32 for 2 but some useful partnerships from the batsmen that followed gave them some respectability to end the day on 202 for 7.

The hero of the Thurstan's batting was Osuka Mahaarachchi who got 72 off 109 balls with nine boundaries. Saman Nishantha was adjudged the man of the match and was awarded the Harsha Deepal memorial trophy and a motor bike presented by the Junior Old Boys of Thurstan. Thurstan's Osuka Mahaarachchi won the Jayantha Paranathala challenge trophy for the best batsman while Chanuka Perera took the Mahanama Wijeyaratne challenge trophy for the best bowler. Isipathana were awarded the Blackham Wijewardena memorial trophy by virtue of being the winners of the encounter in 1999.

Rajans nudge Ananda
By Bernie Wijesekera
Dharmaraja Kandy sent in to bat in a low scoring match nudged Ananda on the first innings in their schools game continued at Ananda Mawatha yesterday. The Lake View school made 169. Ananda in reply were 4 for 29 and (4 for 60) overnight. But a resolute fifth wicket stand of 64 between T. Kumarasinghe (3)) and allrounder R. Wimaladharma (45 with 6 fours) helped them to total 158. The Rajans in their second innings, despite batting against a mediocre Ananda attack and a scorching outfield, plodded on till the sixth mandatory over - leaving Ananda to get 175 for an outright win in 11 overs. But both captains agreed to call off play.

This encounter one of the oldest between the two schools was started in 1893 when Sir Baron Jayatileke was the Principal of Dharmaraja. In 1999 Ananda OBA decided to play it for the P.W. Perera challenge trophy, a former Ananda cricket captain who later went on to coach the Rajans from 1942 to 44 producing some of the best willow wielders in the game.

Walter, after retirement from the Prisons Department, coached Ananda for several decades. Ananda won the inaugural contest. In the Rajans second innings C. Kapugedera top scored with 61 with eight fours and a six.

Dharmaraja - 169 in 59.5 overs (Chamira Kapugedera 46, K. Ariyadasa 44 n.o, U. Wijesiri 17, M. Wijekoon 18; C. Jayaweera 5 for 43, A. Ranasinghe 2 for 37) and 163 for 8 dec in 75 overs (C. Kapugedera 61, J. Chandratilleke 37, M. Wijekoon 34, J.C. Jayaweera 2 for 44, R. Wimaladharma 4 for 50, A. Ranasinmghe 2 for 40)

Ananda - 60 overnight contd. - 158 in 47,4 overs (T. Kumarasinghe 30, R. Wimaladharma 45, S. Senanayake 37; E.T. Abeysinghe 3 for 46, A.E.T. Ekanayake 2 for 30, R.M. Rajapakse 2 for 6)

Sebs in close win
Table leaders St. Sebastian's College Moratuwa continued their winning streak when they edged out gritty Wesley on the first innings in a schools cricket match at Campbell Park yesterday.

Wesley, winning the toss, invited the visitors to take first lease of the pitch. The Moratuwa school made 237, thanks to a fighting 101-run fifth wicket stand between prolific run-getter Nuwan Perera 60 (five-fours and a six) and Suhada Cooray 45 (four fours and two sixes) which helped them in a big way. At one stage they were sitting pretty at 200 for 4, but off-spinner Charitha Karunaratne ( 4 for 9) skittled the lower order and they were all out for 237.

Wesley in reply were 60 for 4 overnight. A resolute 100, with 12 fours made in 197 balls, saw them fight back to reach 222. St. Sebastian's in their second essay batted on till the close to make 190 for 7.

Nuwan Perera (51) was amongst the runs again. Charitha Karunaratne again bowled well to pick up 6 for 63 - a match bag of 10 for 72.

St. Sebastian's - 237 (Nuwan Perera 60, S. Cooray 45, Charitha Karunaratne 4 for 9, A. Kumarasinghe 3 for 70, A. Colombage 3 for 48) and 190 in 48 overs (Nuwan Perera 51, N. Fernando 39, S. Cooray 39, P. de Mel 21 n.o; Charitha Karunaratne 6 for 63)
Wesley - 222 - 60 for 4 overnight (Kamantha Kodikara 100, F. Hamroof 31; N. Perera 4 for 63, Manjula Silva 3 for 39, S. Abeydeera 2 for 68) - BW

Mahinda humble Nalanda
Mahinda College Galle, after bundling out Nalanda for 85 on the first innings with sensible batting, replied with 162 at the Galle International Esplanade yesterday.
But Nalanda in their second innings gave an improved bating performance to total 220.
Nalanda set Mahinda to score 143 runs in 19 overs. They were 107 for 7 at close.
Nalanda - 85 (S. Wijetunga 38 n.o; P. Weerawarna 5 for 24, C. Atukorale 3 for 18) and 220 (S. Serasinghe 50, Viranga Pathirana 32 n.o, T. Atthanayake 26, M. Warnapura 24, M. Priyawitharane 4 for 28, L. Malinga 2 for 48).

Mahinda - 162 (C. Atukorale 72, Harsha Dharmaratne 4 for 14, Gihan Rupasinghe 3 for 23) and 107 for 7 at close (M. Priyawitharane 21, B. Randima 35, Y. Hewawitharane 3 for 41) - B.W.

Nisal's hat-trick steals limelight
Royal College earned a hard-fought first innings win over Prince of Wales at Moratuwa yesterday. It was a keen;y contested match. The Reid Avenue school batting first made 208 with skipper Rochana scoring a capital 50 with six fours. The Cambrians replied with 173. The visitors in their second innigs fared no better making 157 - thanks to a fighting a 61 by middle-order batsman, Heshan Morawake, who sewed up the innings when they were struggling at 51 for 4,along with fresher Janith Jayawardena (37).

The feature of this innings was the fine left-arm spin bowling by Nisal Withanage, who captured four wickets in four balls including a hat-trick.The Cambrians left to make 192 for an outright win, were 70 for 5 at the close.

Royal - 208 (R. Wijeratne 50, T. Edirimuni 40, Velu Arumprakash 32; Dilshan Sampath 5 for 60,Nisal Withanage 3 for 71) and 157 (H.Morawake 61, JanithJayawrdena 37; N. Withanage 6 for 52, including hat-trick, D.Sampath 2 for 53)

Prince of Wales - 173 - overnight 100 for 6 (N. Rohan 37 n.o, Nisal Withanage 36,N. Probodha 23; G. Ratnayake 6 for 45, H. Morawake 3 for 31) and 95 for 5) - B.W.

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