• Malintha re-writes record books with classic century
• Fernando reaches 1000 runs in Moratuwa 'big' match
• Ananda shatters record,Rodrigo and Fernando give Nalanda a solid start
• Australian sponsorship for Under-15 Lankan batsman
• Lankan spinners issue Test match warning to S. Africa
• Colombo Ladies champs
• Ponniah, Perera shine for Old Thomians
• Royal-Thomian past cricketers annual dinner
• Zimbabwean Flowers blossom
• Bad light hits Kandy's 'big' games
• One-eyed Jacks

Malintha re-writes record books with classic century

64th 'Battle of the Saints'

By Marlon Fernandopulle

A scintillating century by Peterite skipper Malintha Warnapura highlighted the 64th 'Battle of the Saints' cricket encounter which petered out to a draw at the P. Sara Stadium yesterday.

In an encounter where over 400 runs were scored on the first day and 380 runs on the second day, the Peterite skipper stood head and shoulders above the rest as he carved a classic hundred, in the process becoming the second highest scorer in the series, except Clive Inman's unbeaten 204 in 1954. Waranapura walked into bat when his side was tottering at 21 for 2, after Josephian medium pacer Gavin Van Sanden sent both openers back to the pavilion. Displaying immense maturity and a 'cool' head, Warnapura steadied the ship and guided his team to safety. He added 69 runs for the 4th wicket with Ishara Fonseka (18) and 104 runs for the 5th wicket with Suranga Pinto (19), to help the Peterites to declare at 273 for 6 wickets at lunch. Warnapura completed his ton in 139 balls with the help of 15 boundaries before he was finally out for 159. Incidentally the last century scored in this encounter was in 1989, when Peterite Jayaweera Bandara crossed the three figure mark.

Enjoying a lead of 30 runs ,the Josephians intended to go for quick runs, but were foiled by some accurate Peterite bowling and fielding that checked the flow of runs. To make matters worse St. Joseph's lost wickets at regular intervals, but were helped by a fighting half century from Roshan De Silva which took them to 151 for 6, when the declaration came. It was more of a token declaration that set the Peterites 182 for victory in the 20 mandatory overs.

The Peterites made no attempt at the target and prefered to play it safe as they ended up at 62 for 4 in the 17th over when the umpires called the match off, adding another 'No Decision' to the Battle of the Saints.

Score board

St Joseph's 1 st innings - 303/8 decl

St Peter's 1 st innings - 106/3 overnight

J Fernando ct. Warnakula b Van Sanden 09

A Fonseka ct Warnakula b Van Sanden 07

M Perera ct De Mel b R de Silva 33

M Warnapura c De Mel b D Fernando 159

S Pinto run out 19

I Fonseka ct (Sub) b D Fernando 18

R Dias not out 12

Extras ( B 5. LB-10, W-1) 16

Total (for 6 wkts. in 62.5 overs) 273

Fall: 1-12, 2-21, 3-82, 4-151, 5-255, 6-273.

Bowling: R.de. Silva 14-2-54-1; G.Vansanden 6-2-23-2; D.Fernando 12.5-1-45-2; S.Warnakula 13-1-59-0; M.Perera 7-0-46-0; A.de. Mel 9-1-25-0; J.Jayasuriya 1-0-6-0.

St. Joseph's 2nd Innings

J.Jayasuriya b R. Dias 18

P.Pathirana lbw b Rupasinghe 33

M.Perera lbw b N.de. Silva 13

A.de. Mel c J.Fernando b Warnapura 1

R.de. Silva not out 50

D.Ramanayake c sub b. R.Dias 27

I.Daniels not out 0

Extras: (B-1, LB-3, NB-3, W-2) 9

Total (for 6 wkts in 47.4 overs) 151

Fall: 1-31, 2-58, 3-61, 4-88, 5-149, 6-149.

Bowling: R.Dias 8-0-44-3; D.Hettihewa 4-0-14-0; M.Warnapura 7-2-13-1; N.de. Silva 16-4-42-1; A.de. Silva 2-0-12-0; D.Rupasinghe 10.4-2-22-1.

St. Peter's 2nd Innings

J.Fernando run out 10

A.Fonseka c S.Fernando b D.Fernando 3

R.Dias not out 27

M.Perera b D.Fernando 8

S.Pinto c J.Jayasuriya b S.Warnakula 4

T.Fonseka not out 4

Extras : (B-4, LB-2) 6

Total (for 4 wkts in 17 overs) 62

Fall: 1-12, 2-18, 3-38, 4-53)

Bowling: R.de. Silva 3-0-20-0; A.de. Mel 3-0-18-0; D.Fernando 8-4-13-2; S.Warnakula 3-0-11-1.

Fernando reaches 1000 runs in Moratuwa 'big' match

By S.M.D.Sirisena

Deputy Cambrian skipper Hasantha Fernando reached 1000 runs when he knocked the required 21 runs against St.Sebastian's in their 'Big' match, which ended in a draw at Soysa Park, Moratuwa yesterday.

Prince of Wales scored 173 for 5 at close in reply to St Sebastian's total of 285 for 9 declared in 96 overs .

Resuming from their overnight score of 197 for 6 in 57 overs, St. Sebastian's batted till lunch and declared at 285 . Overnight batsman Dilshan Godfred and N. Fernando added 86 runs for the seventh wicket. M. Fernando scored 32 runs while Godfred made 42. D. Fernando contributed with an unbeaten 32. Kalum Fernando was the most successful bowler taking 4 for 98.

Cambrians' opener I. Hittatiya and K. Fernando who have so far collected 900 runs, were unlucky to miss 1000 runs. Hittatiya was out for 10, while Kalum was out for 31, which included 3 boundaries. Three Cambrian wickets fell at 54 . Chirantha Sampath and H. Fernando put on a 61 run partnership for the fourth wicket. Sampath was sent to the pavilion off the bowling of Malshan Fernando for 14. But Hasantha Fernando went on to score 54 runs with 7 boundaries and a huge six. Fernando hit the only six in the match. He faced 79 deliveries in 133 minutes. Nuwan Ratnayaka (27 n.o.) and J. Wannakuwatta (25 n.o) were involved in 45 runs for the sixth wicket.

The one day match between the two schools will be played today at the De Soysa park.The 12th encounter will start at 10am

Score board

St.Sebestian's first innings

B Mendis ct.Wannakuwatta

b.K.Fernando 34

M Fernando ct.Wannakuwatta

b.K.Fernando 8

P.Jayawardana ct.Warnakulawatta b.H.Fernando 1

M.Fernando ct.Sampath b.H.Fernando 4

N.Wijesingha lbw b.K.Fernando 47

M.Fernando ct,H.Fernando

b,K.Fernando 32

N.Fernando c and b S.Peiris 42

D.Godfred ct,Wannaakuwatta

b.T.Silva 41

R,Balasooriya run out 17

D.Fernando not out 32

C.Francis not out 0

Extras: ((B.7,LB 5,NB 5,W 10) 27

Total (for 9 wickets decl.

in 96 overs in 408 mts) 285

Fall: 15,16,26,56,136,142,228,238,281

Bowling: D.Gamage 12-2-36-0, K.Fernando 25-1-94-4, H.Fernando 22-8-48-2, D.Perera 2-1-6-0, S.Pieris 20-7—34-1, T,Silva 14-4-41-1, P.Ranaweera 9-0-4-0

Prince of Wales first Innings

I.Hittatiya lbw b.Balasooriya 10

K.Fernando c M.Fernando

b.N.Fernando 31

P.Ranaweera ct. M.Fernando

b.Godfred 4

H.Fernando b M.Fernando 54

C.Sampath lbw b.M.Fernando 14

N.Ratnayaka not out 27

J.Wannakuwatta not out 25

Extras: (NB4,W3) 7

Total: (for 5 wkts in 61 overs) 173

Fall: 12,21,54,115,128.

Bowling: R,Balasooriya 8-2-11-1; D.Fernando 6-1-11-0; N.Fernando 6-2-24-1; D.Godfred 16-5-49-1; B.Mendis 1-0-4-0; C.Fernando 11-4-36-0; M.Fernando 12-4-25-2; N.Wijesingha 1-0-5-0.

Ananda shatters record,Rodrigo and Fernando give Nalanda a solid start

69th 'Battle of the Maroons': Ananda breaks 44-year-old-record

By Saif Izzadeen

On a record breaking day, Nalanda replying to Ananda' s 284 for 5 dec. were 74 for no loss, at the end of the first day's play, in the 69th 'Battle of the Maroons' cricket match at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Nalanda replying to a formidable score of 284 for 5 by Ananda, saw their openers rising to the occasion in style by putting on a defiant and determined stand of 74 runs in 33 overs. Both batsmen showed tremendous concentration and defiance, which kept the Ananda bowlers at sea. Skipper Sanjaya Rodrigo was not out on 31, with Danushka Fernando unbeaten on 41.

Early in the day, Ananda broke a 44-year-old record, when they scored 284 (the earlier record was 278 made in 1954). That year Ananda were led by P.D. Silva and Nalanda was skippered by A. de Soyza. The match produced 726 runs and the game ended in a draw. However they missed the highest score in the series, which was 290 made by Nalanda in 1950.

Ananda who were put into bat first by Nalanda's skipper Sanjaya Rodrigo, opened the innings with skipper Lahiru Chaturanga and Lakshan Fernando, but when the score was on 13, Lahiru Chaturanga gifted his wicket as he played a rash drive, which had him caught by Danthella Dayaratne off Kalum Gangodawila for 8. Then nine runs later, Ananda fell into deeper trouble when they lost Lakshan Fernando who was caught by Haren De Mel, off Niranjan Kumar for 8, which had Ananda groping in the dark at 22 for 2.

What followed was a batting treat. The next five batmen were able to score 262 runs in 60 overs. With the score at 22 for 2, Rajith Basnayake was joined by Sammera Panapitiya and the pair put on 59 runs for the third wicket. With the score at 81 for 3, Basnayake was caught by Sanjaya Rodrigo off Danthella Dayaratne for 20.

Then Sri Lanka youth player Thilina Kandambi joined Sammera, and the pair put on 77 runs for the fourth wicket, with Kandambi looking the more aggressive of the two, as he made a blazing 58 in 52 balls, which had 9 well timed boundaries. With the score at 155, Kandambi looking to loft Dayaratne, was caught by Niranjan Kumara at long on. Seven runs later Sammera Panapitiya too fell to Dayaratne. Sammera was stumped by Haren de Mel to a well compiled 60 runs in 88 balls. Panapitiya's innings had eight hits to the ropes with the score reading at165 for 5. Mutumudaliage Pushpakumara and Jithendra Perera got together and put an unbeaten 119 run stand for the sixth wicket.

This partnership helped Ananda to a make a record breaking 284 for 5 and declare their innings at tea. Both batsmen were unbeaten on 51 and 58 respectively. Both batsmen hit four boundaries each.

It all points out to be another high scoring draw in the series. However if both captains can think positively, they would be able to achieve a result in the match.

The match will be continued at 10 am today.

Score board

Ananda

L. Chaturanga ct D. Dayaratne b K. Gangodawila 09

L. Fonseka ct H.de. Mel

b N. Kumara 08

R. Basnayake ct S. Rodrigo

b S. de Silva 20

S. Panapitiya st H. de Mel

b D. Dayaratne 60

T. Kandambi ct N. Kumar

b D.Dayaratne 58

J. Perera not out 51

M. Pushpakumara not out 58

Extras (b 8 lb 07 nb - w 5) 20

Total in 244m of 65 overs dec five wickets for 284

Fall 13 (Lahiru), 22 (Lakshan),81 ( Rajith), 158( Thilina) 165 (Sameera)

Did not bat - M. Mallawarachchi, N. Jayawardena,S. Rupasinghe, A. Ganegama

Bowling- N. Kumar 9-1-38-1 ( W1), K. Gangodawilla 9-1-27-1, A.de. Silva 3-1-19-0, D. Jayasundara 11-2-35-0, S.de.Silva 5-0-31-1, D. Dayaratne 17-1-60-2 ( w 2), D. Dayaratne 9-1-40-1(W1), D. Fernando 1-0-6-0, S. Rodrigo 1-0-8-0(w 1)

Nalanda

S. Rodrigo not out 31

D. Fernando not out 41

Extras ( b - Ib - nb 02 w -) 02

Total in 134m of 33 overs no loss 74

Bowling(todate) A. Ganegama 7-0-25-0, M. Mallawarachchi 5-4-1-0, S. Rupasinghe 9-2-17-0 (Nb1), N. Jayawardena 6-1-12-0, M. Pushpakumara 4-1-11-0, R. Basnayake 1-0-1-0,T. Kandambi 1-0-2-0

Australian sponsorship for Under-15 Lankan batsman

By Bernie Wijesekera

The Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation of Victoria, which is doing much for cricket, is offering Rs. 50,000/- a year - a four year package, to Chanaka Wijesinghe, a talented 15-year-old cricketer from St. Sylvester's College, Kandy.

Eddie Gray, the former Royalist and well-known Sri Lankan boxer, and a trustee of the SLCFV personally made the presentation to Roy de Silva, the President of the Kandy District CA, on March 2, in Kandy.

Gray, arrived here from Australia, along with Duncan White and his wife, and John de Saram for the Duncan White award ceremony, which was awarded for the 3rd year to Susanthika Jayasinghe, the Sydney Olympic prospect (1999).

Gray said this package was made possible through Sri Lanka's sportsmen, David Cruse (Managing Director Knox Tavern, Melbourne) and Bertie Ekanayake (Director Esden Plastics, Melbourne), who were also here in Kandy watching the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe Test match at Asgiriya. They were impressed with the performances of teenager Wijesinghe.

The money will be placed in a trust fund with Malcolm Perera (SLBCC), Roy de Silva and the Principal of St. Sylvester's.

In the past there were talented players like Aravinda de Silva, who had the opportunity of playing in Victoria. He was nursed by Dave Whatmore. Today, Aravinda is a frontline batsman.

Wijesinghe was also presented with cricketing gear. For its continuation, he will have to send a quarterly report to this effect from the trustees.

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