Record breaker Dimuth helps Joes pile up 335/5
Chris DHAMBARAGE
CRICKET: St. Joseph’s College rallied around through a record
breaking performance from Dimuth Karunaratne to pile up a huge 335 for 5
in their first innings and take major honours on the opening day of
their 73rd annual Inter-School Battle of the Saints cricket encounter
against the traditional rivals St. Peter’s College played for the Rev.
Maurice Legoc Trophy at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium yesterday.
The stylish left hand opening batsman hammered a magnificent 131 to
emerge as the highest individual scorer for the Josephians in the series
and shattered the previous best of 114 not out held by Fred Perera since
1934.
The Sri Lanka youth cap grabbed the opportunity on a good batting
track to perform the unique feat of scoring a century during one session
after they had been put into bat by the Peterites.
Karunaratne who is their leading run getter this season and who was
named best batsman in last years Big Match got his act together well
from the start and collected his runs from just 128 deliveries with the
aid of three sixes and seventeen boundaries.
Together with Ruwantha Fernandopulle the pair took the Josephians off
to a flying start as they put on a superb opening stand of 140 runs.
The Josephian first innings total of 335 for 5 is also the fourth
highest total in the series behind their 382 which they achieved in
1952, 380 runs in 1934 and 359 runs in 1951.
The Peterites in reply struggled to reach 161 for 6 after going
through some real anxious moments at the start of their innings.
They collapsed to 69 for 4 at one stage before Anuk Silva rescued
them with a fighting knock of 72 not out from 91 balls with ten
boundaries. He was also associated in a fifth wicket partnership of 88
runs together with Angelo Perera who scored a useful 44 from 53
deliveries with the help of seven boundaries.
Earlier the St. Joseph’s openers Karunaratne and Fernandopulle simply
took the game away from the Peterites with some tremendous batting as
they reached the two hundred run mark even before the end of the opening
session.
Fernandopulle however departed when he was well in sight of a half
century having faced 72 balls and stroked four boundaries.
The former captain Angelo Mathew joined Karunaratne and the pair
maintained the same momentum with a second wicket stand of 68 runs.
The Sri Lanka youth captain and fifth year coloursman played a good
supporting role and his knock of 44 was studded with seven hits to the
ropes.
The Peterites of course did succeed in sending back both Karunaratne
and Mathew shortly after lunch. But Roshane Silva made certain that St.
Joseph’s would get pass the three hundred run mark while stroking an
unbeaten 64 from just 55 balls inclusive of one six and two boundaries.
He also added 51 useful runs for the fifth wicket together with
Thisara Perera who hit a run a ball 30. The Peterites still need a
further 75 runs to avert the follow on mark with only four wickets in
hand.
ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE - FIRST INNINGS
Dimuth Karunaratne c Peiris b Fernando 131
Ruwantha Fernandopulle lbw b Fernando 43
Angelo Mathew c Wijeratne b Magage 44
Roshane Silva not out 64
Anton de Livera c Rodrigo b Samsudeen 7
Thisara Perera c Samsudeen b Magage 30
Rajeeva Weerasinghe not out 2
Extras 14
TOTAL (for 5 wkts decl.) 335
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-140, 2-208, 3-231, 4-273, 5-324.
BOWLING: U. Samsudeen 10-0-74-1, V. Perera 5-2-18-0,
K. Magage 18-0-79-2, L. Rodrigo 14-1-89-0,
C. Fernando 11-0-56-2, L. Peiris 2-0-15-0.
ST. PETER’S COLLEGE -
FIRST INNINGS
Andry Berenger c b Mathew 13
Srimatha Wijeratne c S. Weerasinghe
b Mathew 18
Krishal Magage lbw b Perera 5
Anuk Silva not out 72
Lahiru Peiris lbw b Rajasuriya 4
Angelo Perera c Wijesiri b Perera 44
Ruwan Wickremanayake c Karunaratne
b Perera 0
Lakshan Rodrigo not out 0
Extras 5
TOTAL (for 6 wkts) 161
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-30, 2-39, 3-39, 4-69, 5-157, 6-161.
BOWLING: A. Mathew 11-1-50-2, T. Perera 11-2-36-3,
T. Rajasuriya 6-2-21-1, S. Weerasinghe 7-0-37-0,
R. Weerasinghe 4-0-17-0.
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