Kandy in smashing 37-3 win
S. M. JIFFRY ABDEEN Kandy Sport Corr.
A second half blitz by the defending Caltex league champions Kandy
Sports Club saw them romp home to a comfortable 37 points (three goals,
two tries, one penalty, one drop goal) to 3 (one penalty) win over CH
and FC in their first round match of the Caltex Rugby league tournament
played at Nittawela yesterday.
At half time Kandy SC clung on to a slender lead of 5-3.
Two players who did the most damage were scrum half Saliya Kumara and
fly half Fazil Marija whose combined play and incisive running was too
much for the CH team.
The game started with CH and FC more on the offensive. In the 9th
minute CH got into an early lead through a 49 metre penalty fired by No.
8 Senthil Kumar.
It did not take long for Kandy to wrest the lead when they won a line
out deep inside CH territory and stand off Fazil Marija collecting the
pass sped and switched an inside pass to full back Radhika Hettiarachchi
who touched down mid right. Saliya Kumara failed to add the extra
points. Kandy 5-3.
Kandy Sports Club before going for the kill first insulated
themselves from defeat. In the 5th minute, of the second half scrum half
Saliya Kumara fired a 46 metre penalty and then Fazil Marija dropped a
goal (Kandy 11-3). Kandy increased their lead when Saliya Kumara touched
down and Radhika Hettiarachchi converted to make it 18-3. They increased
their lead when Saliya Kumara sped away to score near the posts. Marija
added the extra points. Kandy 25-3.
Four minutes later winger Prasad Chaturanga slipped tackles and
gained a lot of ground and sent a pass to Fazil Marija who dived over by
the left corner flag. Saliya Kumara failed with a difficult kick at
goal. Kandy 30-3. In the final moments of play, Kandy kept applying
pressure against a tired CH defence and it was that Fazil Marija-Saliya
Kumara combination again which sliced through their opponents defence
and Saliya Kumara gave the finishing touches mid left. Fazil Marija
added the extra points to make it 37-3.
Referee: Nizam Jamaldeen.
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