Both teams equally balanced

16th 'Battle of the Golds' at Asgiriya:

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

A well balanced contest is expected when Sri Rahula College, Katugastota take on Sri Sumangala College, Kandy, in their 16th 'Battle of the Golds' at the Asgiriya stadium in Kandy, today and tomorrow with play commencing at 9.45 a.m. both days.

The Sri Sumangala leads the series with two wins while Sri Rahula have still to win a match in the series. The Sumangalians two wins came early in the series in the first and third encounters and the last 12 battles have ended in drawn games.

Sri Sumangala College will field an experienced side with as many as nine from the last year's side being available but they have failed to click as a team and they gone through the season winless. They have played 10 matches, won 0, lost 2 (Sri Sumangala Panadura and Kingswood) and drawn the balance games.

Sri Sumangala College will be led by opening batsman and wicket keeper Pradeep Attanayake who has scored 550 runs this season with four half centuries. He has 20 victims behind the stumps.

Prasad Palihena is the vice captain of the side and he will open the attack but has not been very successful with both bat and the ball.

Sri Sumangala's batting will be propped up by skipper Pradeep Attanayake (550 runs), Prasad Palihena, Lakshitha Madushan (330 runs), Shashika Bandara (300 runs), Isuru de Silva (200 runs), Janith Dissanayake (200 runs), Randika Ekanayake (300 runs).

Prasad Palihena will share the new ball with Madushan Premawardena with more pace coming from Shashika Bandara (20 wkts), and Randika Ekanayake. Jayaruwan Wijesinghe who bowls off spin will lead the spin attack with 30 wickets. The other spinners in the side are off spinner Lakshitha Madhushan, leg spinner Isuru de Silva, off spinner Janith Dissanayake (20 wkts) and off spinner Chinthaka Senaviratne (20 wkts).

The team is being coached by Hemantha Bandara with Upali Wijesinghe as the Prefect of Games cum Master In Charge. Sri Rahula College have gone through a season of mixed fortunes having played 8 matches, won 1 (Piliyandala Central), lost 2 (Carey and Trinity) and drawn the rest. They have a slightly better record than their opponents with a win to their credit.

Sri Rahula College will be led by allrounder Rasika Udayakumara who is a good left arm spinner and a steady batsman and scores in time of crisis. He has scored 260 runs and captured 28 wickets. His figures would have been better if not for the fact that rain interfered with some of their matches.

Vice captain Dinusha Gunatillake playing in his third year has been the most successful batsman with 300 runs and he is also a useful medium pacer.

There is depth in Sri Rahula's batting with Ruwan Ratnayake, Chathuranga Dikkumbura (280 runs), Rasika Udayakumara, Dinusha Gunatilleke, Amith Tillakaratne (200 runs), Sunimal Dissanayake (250 runs), Gihan Viduranga, Nimesha Wanasundera.

Aruna Sampath will open the attack with Gihan Viduranga with support from Dinusha Gunatillake for more pace. The spin attack will lie in the hands of left arm spinner Rasika Udayakumara (28 wkts), left arm spinner Amith Tillekeratne (22 wkts) off spinner Chathuranga Dikkumbura (19 wkts) and leg spinner Mayura Ratnayake (24 wkts) who had figures of 6 for 2 in their match against Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte. Ruwan Ratnayake will keep wickets.

Sri Rahula College is coached by Aubrey Kuruppu. Sanath Seneviratne is the Master In Charge.