Big Match: Thomians regain D.S. Senanayake Memorial Shield after 12 years

S. Thomas’s College pulled off a convincing 7-wicket win over archrival Royal College in their 140th Battle of Blues big match which ended at Sinhalese Sports Club ground on Saturday (9). 

Left with a simple target of 122 with ample time, the boys by the sea raced to the target in 20 overs with Shalin de Mel scoring an unbeaten half century. 

Thomians got off to a flying start with skipper Sithara Hapuhinna and de Mel sharing 56 runs for the first wicket in just 49 balls. 

Despite a mini collapse in the middle, de Mel stroked a swashbuckling 67 off 55 balls with 10 boundaries and a six to lead the Thomians to a commanding victory. 

Left-handed burly skipper showed great aggression in his 34 off 30 balls setting the foundation for their easy chase. 

The win, their 35th in the series, and the first since 2007, came following a spectacular all-round effort by the Thomian outfit who outsmarted their rivals well and truly in all aspects of the game. 

The result seemed clear as early as day one of the three-day encounter thanks to a magnificent bowling effort by in-form seamer Kalana Perera and spinner Shannon Fernando who combined to bowl Royalists out for a paltry first innings score of 158. 

Royal College 

1st innings 158 all out (48.3) (Kamil Mishara 36, Kavindu Pathiratne 35, Kaushan Kulasuriya 28, Kalana Perera 6/54, Shannon Fernando 4/27)

2nd innings 259 all out (108.2) (Isiwara Dissanayake 20, Kamil Mishara 34, Kavindu Madarasinghe 25, Ahan Wickramasinghe 26, Bhagya Dissanayake 26, Kavindu Pathiratne 24, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 67, Kalana Perera 3/102, Yohan Perera 2/15, Dellon Peiris 2/53)

S. Thomas' College 

1st innings 296 all out (78.5) (Shalin de Mel 21, Ryan Fernando 60, Yohan Perera 49, Umayanga Suwaris 62, Kalana Perera 62, Kamil Mishara 3/70, Kavindu Pathiratne 3/83, Gishan Balasuriya 2/66)

2nd innings (Target 121 runs) 124 for 3 wickets (20) (Sithara Hapuhinna 34, Shalin de Mel 67n.o., Ravindu de Silva 13n.o.)

Result: S. Thomas' College won by 7 wickets

Best Fielder: Shalin de Mel (S. Thomas'/7 catches)

Best Bowler: Kalana Perera (S. Thomas'/6-54 and 3-102)

Best Batsman: Umayanga Suwaris (S. Thomas'/62 off 109 balls)

Player-of-the-Match: Kalana Perera (S. Thomas'/62 runs and 9 for 156)

Umpires: Raveendra Wimalasiri, Lyndon Hannibal

Match Referee: Vendol Labrooy