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| Wednesday, 23 February 2005 |
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42nd Big Match at SSC grounds Thurstan go out with confidence by Chris Dhambarage Thurstan College with an unbeaten record in the current season are confident of putting up a good performance when they confront their traditional rivals Isipatana College in the 42nd annual inter school cricket encounter on February 25 and 26 at the SSC grounds, Maitland Place. The Thurstanites have not produced anything extra-ordinary this year but they have concentrated on building up the side for the future. They have succeeded to a great extent and have also showed signs of improving during the latter stages of the season with all their senior players striking form. It was during this period that they scored a morale boosting ten wicket victory over Maris Stella College at the Kadirana grounds. In fact Thurstan have been forced to play all their matches on neutral grounds this season due to the construction work at their home grounds at Bauddhaloka Mawatha. Nevertheless they have learnt the hard way under the guidance of coach Dinesh Weerasinghe and they are now ready to deliver the goods in this all important fixture. The most significant individual contribution of course came from their opening bowler Lahiru Gamage who fashioned their only win this season by claiming a hattrick in the match against Maris Stella College Negombo. This match in fact turned out to be a memorable one for Gamage who returned career best figures of eight wickets for 37 runs. A second year player Gamage began to shine during the latter stages of the season and has so far captured a total of 23 wickets at an average of 18.47. He also took a four wicket haul against Nalanda College. Gamage has also emerged as a useful middle order batsman scoring 335 runs with twin fifties against St. Sylvester's College Kandy. Captaining the Thurstan team this year is Sithuka Nameera Gamage a fourth year player and a promising all rounder. He is their second highest run getter this year with a tally of 384 runs and with an average of 34.91. This includes three half centuries against St. Sebastian's College Moratuwa (89), Maris Stella College Negombo (75) and St. Anne's College Kurunegala (65). As a leg spinner he has had a fare amount of success capturing a total of 13 wickets with a best effort of five wickets for 53 against Nalanda College. His deputy will be Charith Wickremaratne another promising player and a third year player. The right hander opened the batting at the beginning of the season but later dropped in the order and so far he has accumulated over 285 runs with one half century against D. S. Senanayake College. Wickremaratne was associated in a century opening stand with Hasitha Perera in the match against Royal College. In fact newcomer Hasitha Perera is probably he find of the season having put up an excellent performance with the bat scoring 454 runs an at average of 30.26. Despite having crossed the fifty run mark only on one occasion young Perera has being quite consistent throughout the season. He is also their regular wicket keeper of the side and has been responsible for seventeen catches and eight stumpings behind the wicket. Another consistent performer with the bat is third year player Shehan Perera who has compiled 275 runs including one half century against Maliyadeva College Kurunegala. His knock of 54 in this match was quite a significant one because he also added 130 runs the best partnership for Thurstan this season along with Kanishka Elvitigala. The stylish middle order batsman will also be remembered for his match savings innings in last years Big Match. In the bowling department Kanishka Elvitigala has taken the honours with a tally of 29 wickets. Elvitigala who is in the fast bowling academy of Sri Lanka Cricket claimed a five wicket haul in the match against St. Joseph's College and captured 4 for 54 against Nalanda College. Left arm spinner Rishi Ukwatte is another newcomer who has shown a lot of promise capturing 18 wickets at an average of 14.16. He captured five wickets in an innings on two occasions against St. Sylvester's College Kandy (6 for 70) and St. Anne's College Kurunegala (5 for 56). |
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