Roy-Tho: Day 3: D. S. Senanayake shield returns to Royal

Royal after seven-long-years won the 144^th Battle of the Blues beating arch-rivals S. Thomas, handing them a heavy and a humiliating win by 180-runs on the third day at the SSC.

Thomians, chasing an impossible 341 were all out for 161, their highest score in the match.

Only Senesh Hettiarachchi showed the desperately-needed resistance top-scoring with an unbeaten 46.

Brief scores at close:

Royal: 326 for eight decl (74) (o’night) (Dasis Manchanayake 137, Ramiru Perera 128, Ovina Abanpola 30, Akash Fernando 4/55, Kavindu Dias 3/58, Nathan Caldera 1/64) and 168 for four decl (26) (Dasis Manchanayake 57, Ramiru Perera 46 not out, Uvindu Weerasekera 28, Akash Fernando 4/35) lead by 341

STC: 153 all out (55) (Senadhi Bulankulama 40, Mahith Perera 30, Ranuka Malaviarachchi 2/35, Bulan Weerathunga 3/26, Sandesh Ramanayake 2/36, Sineth Jayawardena 2/9, Ramiru Perera 1/30) and 161 all out (58.5) (Senesh Hettiarachchi 46 not out, Charuka Peiris 22, Dharmarathna 2/27, Perera 2/25, Sineth Jayawardena 2/14, Malaviarachchi 1/34, Weerathunga 1/18, Ramanayake 1/24, Manchanayake 1/9)