Trinity fight-back to force a draw

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen Kandy Sports correspondent

Trinity College made a good recovery in the second innings to hold Nalanda College to a draw in their inter-school cricket match concluded at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy yesterday.

Nalanda College after their humiliating defeat at the hands of Dharmasoka College certain made amends to total 305 for 9 declared.

Nipuna Karunanayake top scored with 72 which had 9 hits to the ropes off 124 balls and he was associated in a seventh wicket stand of 67 with Primesh Dassanayake 59 (9 fours, 57 balls) this propped up the innings. Rushan Jaleel was most successful taking 3 for 109 bringing his tally to 87 wickets for the season.

Trinity College in their turn at the wickets did not fare too will losing their first four wickets for 73 before a fifth wicket stand of 94 between Sameera Weerasuriya 58 (9 fours, 117 balls) and Mohomed Sajid 45 (8 fours, 82 balls) salvaged the innings. But with the total at 167 for 4 there was another slump as the total slid to 176 for 9 losing 5 wickets for 9 runs before they were all out for 185.

Sineth Gunawardena took 5 for 47 and was well supported by Nipuna Karunanayake 3 for 36 and were responsible for the collapse.

Following on the lions fared much better with Kitmal Wimalaweera making 44 and in the first innings made 50. Useful contribution by Dilan Gangoda (30) and Dinuk Wijeratne (34) prevented the Nalandians from running through the middle order batting after the Lions were 93 for 4 at one stage.

Two more wickets fell and the score board read 154 for 6 when the mandatory overs began. But Mohamed Sajid once again came to the rescue of the lions by making 53 not out with 9 four off 93 balls when stumps were drawn.

Nalanda College 305 for 9 deer off 83.4 overs (Prasanna Wickremasinghe 29, Chandimantha Rodrigo 42, Adeesha Nanayakkara 48, Nipuna Karunanayake 72, Sineth Gunawardena 14, Primesh Dassanayake 59, Chinthaka Gokula 2 for 53, Rushan Jaleel 3 for 109, Akila Jayasundera 2 for 95)

Trinity College 185 all out in 50 overs (Sameera Weerasuriya 58, Kitmal Wimalaweera 50, Mohamed Sajid 45, Sineth Gunawardena 5 for 47, Nipuna Karunanayake 3 for 36) and 196 for 7 in 59 overs (Kitmal Wimalaweera 44, Dilan Gangoda 30, Dinuk Weeraratne 34, Mohamed Sajid 53 not out, Rushan Jaleel 13 not out, Adeesha Nanayakkara 2 for 21, Dinuk Jayasinghe 4 for 70)