59th Battle of the Golds on March 13 and 14:

Cambrians and Sebs out to play positive cricket

DILWIN MENDIS Moratuwa Sports Corr.

The 59th annual encounter between two leading schools in the island Prince of Wales College and St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa will be worked off on 13th and 14th of March 2009 at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa. The 24th limited over encounter will be played on Sunday March 15 at the same venue.

This encounter was inaugurated in 1933 and it has been played to date with two short breaks from 1938 to 1953 and in 1969 and 1970. The cricket crazy Moratuwites make this their major social event with lot of music, fun and frolic.

So far Cambrians have won six while Sebs have recorded two.

Sebs won last under the captaincy of Sarath Perera in 1966 while Cambrians last won led by Pemlal Fernando in 1977.

Since then all the matches played during the last 31 years have ended in tame draws. To break this stalemate both teams and those connected are taking great pains.

Thirty one consecutive draws perhaps may be a record in island's Big Match cricket.

Led by all rounder and coloursman Buddhika de Alwis, Cambrians have played fifteen matches so far and could not record a single outright victory.

They lost to Ananda after leading on the first innings and gaining first innings victories in most of the other matches.

Only the skipper has played in last year's big match and the rest of the players have excelled in under 17 and 2nd XI cricket last year.

His deputy will be Dinesh Chandima who is a very good all rounder who has passed the eight hundred mark with two centuries and missing a well deserved century by two runs against St. Thomas'.

In the bowling department too he has performed well. Sebs have to watch him and if he gets going they might be in trouble.

Buddhika has the services of Thisaru de Mel who is a reliable batsman with good scores this season who scored a century against Richmond. Shehan Jayasuriya who is also an allrounder has done well this season.

Lanky Mohamed Hassim opens the attack. Another fresher Shehan Dannalage is the stumper of the side and a fair batsman.

Sebs fields a side with four of last year's players and Prageeth Dilshan Perera a second year coloursman will lead the side. Prageeth opens batting with Deshan Dias who is the stumper of the side. Both of them have put on reasonable partnerships this season and if the pair could give a formidable start the rest could consolidate the position. Ishara Fernando is the vice captain of the side and Charith Fernando and Anuk de Alwis too played in last years Big Match in which Anuk de Alwis performed well with the ball.

Sebs have played fifteen matches this season and like their opponents they too could not register a single outright victory.

They have lost four matches outright while Cambrians only one. In their last outing against more fancied and formidable Thomians, they piled up 309 runs but opponents came out with a huge total of 438 for 9 and batted whole day on day two. The skipper has to get the services of the freshers and there is Oshada Fernando, Amila Aponso, Jayaram Fernando and Brian Paul.

Paul who led last year's under 17 team was introduced at the eleventh hour to the team and against St. Thomas he scored 81 runs and associated in a fine partnership with Oshada Fernando who made 80 runs.

The teams:

Prince of Wales: Buddhika de Alwis (capt), Dilan Chandima (vice capt.), Mohamed Hassim, Thisaru de Mel, Savia Fernando, Hashan Fernando, Isuru Thilina, Dulan Chatuka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Thushara Alwis, Nipun Chamara, Malshan Mendis, Sampath Mahesh, Nuwantha Peiris, Shehan Dammalage, Sithum Fernando.

St. Sebastians: Prageeth D. Perera (capt), Ishara Fernando (v. capt.), Charith Fernando, Anuk de Alwis, Deshan Dias, Brian Paul, Sanitha de Mel, Oshada Fernando, Ramesh Fernando, Marlon Fernando, Konney Rodrigo, Kasun Fernando, Jayasiri Fernando, Anoj Gayashan, Amila Aponso, Shawan Fernando.