Thomian last pair help avert follow on

Dinesh WEERAWANSA

Number nine batsman Dinesh Walpita and last man Nilshan Fernando shared a fighting tenth wicket partnership as S. Thomas managed to avert the follow on the second day of their 129th Battle of the Blues three-day cricket encounter continued at SSC grounds, Colombo yesterday.

Royal declared their first innings at the overnight total of 300 for 9, during which No. 7 batsman Charith Fernando played a champion innings of 137. In reply, S. Thomas’ made 181 for 9 when bad light brought a premature end at 3.35 p.m.

Royal captain Dilan Nanayakkara decided to make use of the early morning advantage for quick bowlers without exposing his last pair of Yasith Abeykoon and Maneesha Thanthirigoda. That brought instant results as Royal’s day one hero Charith Fernando proved his class as a bowler too.

If Thomians had any early hopes of going past the healthy Royal total, those were destroyed in a vicious manner as Fernando removed the most prolific run-getter in the Thomian side - Fahim Saleem. The fresher who came to the big ‘un with a rich aggregate of over 950 runs, faced four balls before he was caught by Kusal Perera in the very first over of the day by Fernando.

Then came the most productive partnership of the Thomian innings as opener Jehan Thahir (33 off 91 balls) and Ashan Fernando (32 off 82 balls) shared an inspiring 82-run stand for the second wicket. With the Thomian total reading 82 for 1 at one stage, it looked as if the match was heading for a tall scoring draw.

But Royal came back to the picture strongly just 30 minutes to go for lunch as the Thomians lost three wickets in quick succession to struggle at 88 for 4.

It was medium paceman Bhanuka Rajapaksa who was instrumental in the downfall of the Thomian innings as the Mount Lavinia boys lost three wickets within the space of six runs.

Thahir’s 91-ball patient knock of 33 came to an end when he was bowled by Banuka Rajapaksa, who also removed Raveenthirarajh Nirrushan for three. Rajapaksa accounted for his third successive wicket when he took a return catch to dismiss Thilina Nugawela for a two-ball ‘duck’.

Royal added salt to Thomian injuries by getting rid of one drop bat Ashan Fernando who was going well at the other end during Rajapaksa’s high drama. This time it was former captain and spinner Haroon Mowjood who trapped Fernando leg before for 33 as Thomians took lunch at a hopeless 104 for 5 off 37.2 overs.

The lunch interval could not add confidence to the Thomian camp as they lost two quick wickets to slump to 121 for 7. Royal bowlers continued their good work and tightened the screws on the Thomian first essay - 141 for 9.

At this stage, the Thomians still needed nine runs to avert follow on with the last man in and it looked as if Royal could head for an early win on Saturday, just what their opponents did last year. But then came that stubborn 40 run unfinished last wicket partnership between No.9 bat Dinesh Walpita (24 n.o) and Nilshan Fernando (12 n.o) who saved the Thomians from disgrace.

Walpita played a gallant innings, facing 102 balls for his 24 as the pair survived for 78 minutes before the weather Gods came to the Thomians’ rescue. Extras ended up as the highest scorer of the Thomians innings - 34, made up of eight byes, 12 leg byes, nine no balls and five penalty runs.

Bad light forced the teams to take early tea but the final session could not be commenced as the light conditions did not improve.

The gloomy weather continued for the next session and umpires D.R.P. Dinapurna and Jagath Nandakumar finally decided to call off the second day’s play at 5.20 p.m. In consultation with the two captains, the play commenced half an hour early last morning and the same could be expected at 9.30 a.m. today - the final day.

ROYAL - 1st INNINGS 300 for 9 wickets decl.
	(Charith Fernando 137, Kithruwan Vithanage 40, Yasith Abeykoon 38 n.o,
 	Dinesh Walpita 3 for 46, Navid Ghany 2 for 67)

S.THOMAS’ - 1st INNINGS 
Fahim Saleem c. K. Perera b. C. Fernando  		 0
Jehan Thahir b. Rajapaksa  				33 
Ashan Fernando lbw b. Mowjood 				32 
Raveenthirarajh Nirrushan c. N’kara b. Rajapaksa 	03 
Thilina Nugawela c & b. Rajapaksa  			 0 
Viswa Weerawardene c & b. Mowjood 			19 
Navid Ghany c & b. Boteju 				15 
Ruchira de Silva c. Bogoda b. Boteju 		 	 0 
Dinesh Walpita not out 	24 
Milan Fernando c. Perera b. C.Fernando  		 9 
Nilshan Fernando  not out 			 	12 

EXTRAS: 						34 
TOTAL: for 9 wickets at close 				181 

Batting Time: 319 mts, 81 overs 
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Saleem), 2-82-(Thahir), 3-88 (Nirrushan),
		 4-88 (Nugawela), 5-104 (A.Fernando), 6-121 (Ghany), 
		7-121 (De Silva), 8-131 (Weerawardena), 9-141 (Milan Fernando) 
Bowling: (to date) Fernando 13-3-40-2; Abeykoon 4-2-8-0;
	 Rajapakse 14-3-27-3; Hettiarachchi 4-0-17-0; Thanthirigoda 9-6-6-0;
	 Mowjood 19-6-31-2; Boteju 14-7-17-2; Vithanage 1-0-4-0; Nanayakkara 3-1-6-0.