Isuru, Nimesha guide St. Sylvester’s to 16th series win
Right-arm pacie Isuru Gunasekera and left-arm spinner Nimesha Silva dominated proceedings on both days as St. Sylvester’s College coasted to a convincing 10-wicket win over their traditional rivals Vidyratha College in the 64th Battle of the Babes big match encounter concluded at Pallekele yesterday.
The pair shared 19 wickets, with Gunasekera ending with a match bag of 11 for 86, and Nimesha 8 for 65 as they wrecked Vidyartha’s batting, dismissing them for scores of 124 and 168.
St. Sylvester’s posted a formidable score of 283 for 9 declared in the first innings, led by half-centuries from Yashitha Udahakotuwa and Chandupa Waduge. This left them an easy target of 10 runs to win.
This marked the 16th win for St. Sylvester’s against three by Vidyartha, allowing them to retain the Rev. Fr. Don George Trophy, which they had won previously in 2022.
| SCORECARD | |
| Vidyartha 1st innings Sahan Dilhara b Silva 17 Pubudu Tharaka c Jayasinghe b Gunasekera 17 Chamalka Gihan lbw b Silva 23 Shevan Moses c Hansala b Silva 23 Bashitha Keshan c Hansala b Gunasekera 17 Danupa Kodikara c Jayasinghe b Silva 10 Anishka Gunaratne c Wickramasinghe b Gunasekera 00 Akalanka Dinujaya c Fernando b Silva 02 Dineth Dhananjaya c Ratnasiri b Gunasekera 05 Kavindu Hettiarachchi c Hansala b Gunasekera 00 Shaluka Rambukpitiya not out 00 Extras (b3, lb1, nb6) 10 Total (all out; 38.5 overs) 124 Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-57, 3-58, 4-93, 5-117, 6-117, 7-119, 8-119, 9-119, 10-124 Bowling: Isuru Gunasekera 16.5-8-37-5, Punsith Bandara 2-0-17-0, Kashyapa Dissanayake 3-1-13-0, Nimesha Silva 13-4-21-5, Akila Wickramasinghe 3-1-21-0, Arusha Jayasinghe 1-0-11-0 St. Sylvester’s 1st innings (227/4 o’night) Vidyartha 2nd innings St. Sylvester’s 2nd innings |