Ananda-Nalanda in final work out

Chris DHAMBARAGE

The traditional rivals Ananda College and Nalanda College will have their final preparations ahead of their annual Big Match when they take on St. Joseph’s College and S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia respectively in two high profile inter-school Under 19 cricket tournament matches starting today at Darley Road and Campbell Place.

The Anandians will be looking to maintain their impressive record this season with a number of senior players in the line-up. They will be keen to put up another good performance and to have a morale boosting win under their belt before going into the Big Match.

In contrast St. Joseph’s College will be hoping to regroup and produce an improved performance as they too will be making their final appearance before the Big Match against the traditional rivals St. Peter’s College next weekend.

Their batting has been a major concern and have collapsed sensationally particularly in the second innings. Last week too they experienced a similar situation where they slumped to 133 runs after having scored nearly three hundred runs in the first innings against St. Anthony’s College at Darley Road.

Incidentally this will be the 41st encounter between the two schools with St. Joseph’s College very much ahead in the series having recorded ten victories against their opponents’ solitary win which was recorded in 1938.

However St. Joseph’s College too have failed to make an impact in the recent past and their previous victory was recorded in 1930. Meanwhile Nalanda College will be hoping to pull off a morale boosting victory when they take on a depleted S. Thomas’ College team in another key inter school under 19 cricket tournament match at Campbell Place starting today.

The Nalandians have an excellent record this season and will be all out to pull off another victory which will be a tremendous boost ahead of their Big Match. Nalanda’s key is their penetrative bowling attack which is spearheaded by their captain Dinuk Jayasinghe.

The Thomians are certainly running out of time as they look to bounce back ahead of their Big Match following a humiliating innings defeat at the hands of Trinity College in Kandy last week.

Meanwhile the battle of the Saints inter school Mini Battle between the traditional rivals St. Joseph’s College and St. Peter’s College will be worked off today and tomorrow at Bambalapitiya.

Major upset

Basnahira South created a major upset when they defeated the reigning one day champions Kandurata by three wickets in the last ball of the match in their Bank of Ceylon Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament match worked off at the Pallekelle Stadium in Kandy yesterday.

Kandurata: 163 for 9 in 20 overs (T. Paranavithana 57, C. Kapugedera 31, J. Mendis 36, J. Gunaratne 3 for 23, R. Perera 3 for 27, M. Bandara 2 for 40).

Basnahira South: 166 for 7 in 20 overs (M. Siriwardena 19, L. Thirimanna 34, D. Perera 20, P. Jayawardena 20 n.o, D. Fernando 3 for 48, S. Randiv 2 for 24, M. Muralitharan 2 for 22).

Convincing win

Seamer Kosala Kulasekera snapped up four wickets for 26 to help Ruhuna pull off a convincing 27 run victory over Basnahira North in their Bank of Ceylon Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament match worked off at the Pallekelle Stadium in Kandy yesterday.

Ruhuna: 180 for 7 in 20 overs (D. Chandimal 75, K. Kulasekera 42, N. Kulasekera 2 for 33).

Basnahira North: 153 in 19.4 overs (D. Karunaratne 50, A. Mathews 24, M. Pushpakumara 20, S. Dissanayake 2 for 16, K. Kulasekera 4 for 26).

Smashing victory

Wayamba cruised to a smashing seven wicket victory over the SLC Combined XI in their Bank of Ceylon Inter Provincial Twenty20 tournament match worked off at the Dharmaraja College ground in Kandy yesterday.

SLC Combined XI: 143 for 6 in 20 overs (H. Fernando 54, C. Jayampathy 36, M. Gunatilleke 24 n.o, I. Udana 2 for 21).

Wayamba: 148 for 3 in 18.3 overs (J. Kulatunga 38, M. Udawatte 21, J. Mubarak 26 n.o, S. Karunanayake 30 n.o, H. Dahanayake 2 for 12).

Chanaka sparkling 154

Opener Dasun Chanaka hammered a sparkling 154 from 107 balls with nine sixes and 15 boundaries to help Maris Stella College pile up a huge 380 for 7 in their first innings on the opening day of their inter school under 19 cricket tournament match against Holy Cross College which commenced at the FTZ ground in Katunayake yesterday.

Maris Stella: 380 for 7 decl (D. Chanaka 154, S. Silva 96, V. Kanchuka 87, A. Jayasinghe 38, J. Arampath 4 for 60).

Holy Cross: 37 for 2 (M. Wijeratne 2 for 4).