Berenger and Angelo rescue Peterites with a 134 run stand
Ranjan ANANDAPPA
Half centuries by Peterites Andri Berenger (71), skipper Angelo
Perera (63) and Josephian opener and deputy skipper Hareen Silva (98 n.o.)
were the main features on the first day of the 75th ‘Battle of the
Saints’ cricket encounter which began at the P. Sara Stadium yesterday.
Berenger and Angelo Perera extracted the Peterites from a deep hole
when they were plunging towards disaster with three of their top batsmen
Denham Perera (4), Shivanga Ranasooriya (10) and Nilochana Perera (0)
all in the comfort of the pavilion with only 19 runs on the board after
they were invited to bat first.
The Joes for a moment would have justified the decision in inviting
the Peterites to bat first, as Treshan Rajasooriya picked up the early
wickets.
But the Joes did not really apply the pressure after their early
breakthrough and lost their way with Angelo Perera and Andri Berenger
batting with supreme control.
The fourth wicket pair added 134 runs off 186 deliveries with
Berenger completing a pleasing (75) with 8 fours facing 116 deliveries
and Angelo Perera (63) with 6 boundaries facing 90 deliveries and
brought the score from 19 for 3 to 153 for 4.
The Joes rallied round and came back in a post lunch session blitz
through their left arm paceman Dinal Dhambarage (3 for 47), leg spinner
Shameera Weerasinghe (3 for 80) who went on to take his 100th wicket for
the season. Earlier Rajasooriya took 3 for 39.
Peterite Akshu Fernando who became the 100th victim of Weerasinghe,
scored 45 off 41 balls with two sixes and seven fours and added a
valuable 52 runs for the ninth wicket to get the Peterites past the 200
run mark.
The Joes in their turn were 188 for 5 with Hareen Silva unbeaten on
98 facing 134 deliveries with thirteen fours. Silva put on 67 runs for
the first wicket with Vidusha Jayasinghe (27), but the rest of the Joes
top order could not consolidate and fell to right arm leg spinner Sidath
Jayaweera who was the pick of the Peterite bowlers with the figures of 3
for 50 in 13 overs.
St. Peter’s College
1st Innings
Andri Berenger lbw b. Dhambarage 75
Denham Perera lbw b Rajasooriya 4
Shivanga Ranasooriya c Thattil b Rajasooriya 10
Niolochana Perera b Rajasooriya 0
Angelo Perera c Thattil b Weerasinghe 63
Angelo Emmanuel run out 0
Chatura Pieris c Weerasinghe b Dhambarage 15
Akshu Fernando lbw b Weerasinghe 45
Vinodh Perera b Dhambarage 5
Hashan Wickremasuriya not out 10
Sidath Jayaweera lbw b Weerasinghe 0
Extras: b.2, lb.3, w.1, nb.2 8
Total (55.5 overs all out) 235
Fall of wickets: 5, 17, 19, 153, 153, 161, 178, 183, 235, 235.
Bowling: Treshan Rajasooriya 11-1-39-3, Dilan Dhambarage 13-2-47-3, Chaturanga Kumara 7-0-33-0,
Shameera Weerasinghe 20.5-2-80-3. Rosco Thattil 4-0-31-0.
St. Joseph’s College 1st Innings
Vidusha Jayasinghe c Angelo Perera b Jayaweera 27
Hareen Silva not out 98
Jaan Jayasinghe lbw b Jayaweera 10
Shameera Weerasinghe c Berenger b V Perera 14
Enrico Silva b Akshu Fernando 12
Nishika de Silva lbw b Jayaweera 9
Shalindra Perera not out 13
Extras (w.1, nb.3) 4
Total (in 49 overs for 5 wickets at close) 188
Fall of wickets: 67, 86, 116, 138, 155.
Bowling: Chatura Pieris 6-0-23-0, Vinodh Perera 8-0-35-1, Hashan Wickremasuriya 4-0-19-1,
Angelo Perera 2-0-7-0, Nilochana Perera 6-0-21-0, Sidath Jayaweera 13-3-5-3, Akshu Fernando 10-1-33-1. |
