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Isipathana has the edge over Thurstan
By M. Shamil Amit
Isipathana and Thurstan will open the schools big match clashes when they confront each other for the 42nd time on February 25 and 26 at the SSC grounds starting from 9.40 a.m. The encounter this year will be played on a low profile due to the tsunami disaster that ravaged the country on Boxing Day. The encounter is played for the Blackham Wijewardena Memorial Trophy.

Nevertheless the two schools will go all out to produce a result with the Isipathanians led by third year player Dilan Anuradha having the edge over the Thurstanites led by fourth year player Sithuka Gamage. But overall the Thurstanites are leading the series with five wins as against four to the Isipathanians. The Havelock Park boys last won in 1999 by seven wickets under the leadership of Krishantha Jayawardena while the Reid Avenue boys last win was in 1992 also by seven wickets when led by Mackenzie Perera.

This year Isipathana have had a successful season with three outright wins against St Peter's, President's Rajagiriya and St Sebastian's while losing one to DSS. They have a strong batting line spearheaded by all rounder Tharaka Waduge who will definitely be the cynosure of all eyes having scored over 450 runs, he will open the batting along with the only centurion of the side this season Visuddhi Kaluwitharana a player with over 350 runs to his cedit.

The duo will be expected to give the side a sound start with skipper Anuradha, Gihan Dilruk, Gayan Wijesinghe, Liyan de Silva and Sachith Jayasinghe being there to bolster the score in the middle order. To curtail the Thurstanites from making a big score here again Tharaka Waduge will partner with either Liyan de Silva or Sureen Dinendra with spinners Chatushka Wickramaratne and Gihan Dilruk to support them. Waduge and Wickramaratne have taken over 40 wickets each and are sure to be a thorn to their opponents. On the other hand Thurstan have won only one match against Maris Stella by ten wickets. They are hard fighters who in the past after going into the match as under dogs have played with responsibility. Third year player and deputy skipper Charith Wickramaratne will open the batting with fresher Hasitha Perera. Hasitha has scored over 450 runs while Charith has made nearly 300 runs. Both have given the side some good starts and the teams performance will depend on the duo's start.

Skipper Gamage with over 350 runs will come in at number three with Heshan Galagoda, Shehan Perera all rounder Lahiru Gamage brother of skipper Sithuka to steer the batting in the middle. Opening bowlers Kanishka Elvitigala and Lahiru Gamage will be hard pressed to curtail the Isipathanian batsmen.

Lahiru in particular is a aggressive bowler who has performed the hat-trick this season. Spinner Rishi Ukwatte and skipper Sithuka will have to support them as they are the other bowlers who have been successful this season.

The Isipathanians are coached by Keerthi Gunaratne while the Thurstanites are coached by Dinesh Weerasinghe. The highest individual score stands in the name of Ispathana's Saman Nishantha who scored 150 three years ago while the best bowling figures in the series is by Thurstan's J. Karunaratne who took 7 for 28 in 1992.

The teams:
Isipathana - Dilan Anuradha (Capt), Gihan Dilruk, Isuru Vindana, Tharaka Waduge, Liyan de Silva, Chatsuka Wickramaratne, Gayan Wijesinghe, Visuddhi Kaluwitharana, Pubudu Viraj, Sachith Jayasinghe, Sureen Dinendra, Arosh Janoda, Chirantha de Silva, Amira Rabel, Lahiru Hapugoda.

Thurstan - Sithuka Gamage (Capt), Charith Wickramaratne, Shehan Perera, Heshan Galagoda, Kanishka Elvitigala, Lahiru Gamage, Buddhi SAmarawickrama, Ranga Ratnayake, Azar Samsudeen, Hasitha Perera, Rishi Ukwatte, Pubudu Niroshana, Charith Perera, Praneeth Jayasinghe, Umesh Karunaratne, Rasika Tilakeratne, Rizvi Jawad, Achala Ramanayake.

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