Sports

CR&FC survived a stormy challenge by the CH&FC to win their A Division league rugby encounter by 18 points (1 goal, 1 try and 2 penalties) to nil at Longden Place yesterday. At the turn around CR led 7-0.

The game was played at a furious pace and in the latter stages even fisticuffs entered the fray and even former Police and Sri Lanka skipper Anton Benedict, who is now an official in the CR&FC was spotted on the ground to bring about a settlement amongst the warring factions. As a result CH’s Thalagala was shown the yellow card by referee Nizam Jamaldeen and spent the rest of the game on the bench relegated to a mere spectator.

CH had their chances of scoring but poor ball handling put paid to their chances. CH’s penalty kicking too was off colour. If they had put over the two penalties that came their way, perhaps they could have produced a closer result.

In the first half’s CR’s Ashen Karthelis, who was in the thick of things, scored and Sheriff was on target with his kick to put CR ahead at 7-0 at half time.

A Shefiff penalty put CR further ahead at 10-0 after resumption. Next came a peach of a run by Dinesh Kumar , which was in vain as he was off side. Sheriff converted his second penalty and CR led 13-0. Then came the fireworks in the form of fisticuffs and immediately afterwards Dinesh Kumar scored a try far right in fading light to take CR’s score to 18.

Forty one points (3 goals, 4 tries) to12 (4 penalties) was the final score-line and if that suggests a walk in the park for Kandy SC, it is indeed very far from the truth. The Havelocks, a young team minus stars, threw everything into the fray and emerged with heads held high.

They tackled with gusto, flung themselves at their much heavier opponents and even had the determination to push the Kandy pack back over their goal line and almost came up with a push over try.

Lewke scored first from a line out five yards out.Kandy’s famed back division took over and Mallikaarachchi threw a long pass to a hungry Vithanage to breeze through along the touch-line.

Methruwan’s attempted clearance was foiled and Dhanushka Perera emerged with the ball to fall over. Nalaka converted this one well. This made it 17-6 at the break.

After Bandara had converted another penalty (12-9) the Kandy backs switched passes – Mallikaarachchi to Weerakkody and then on to Vithanage who scored. Nalaka Weerakkody made the next try and Dhanushka Perera delivered it.

The Havelocks were throwing everything into attack at this stage and Kandy was hard pressed to withstand this assault. As luck would have it, a Havelocks pass was intercepted by Pradeep Liyanage, who ran through to score untouched. Eranda Weerakkody converted this try as well as the last one.

Fly half Sajith Bandara put over all four penalties for the Havies.

Referee Aruna Jayasekera.
In the Under23 game between the Havelocks and the Central Province Development Squad, the local team was trounced 58-3.