Close tussle expected in 52nd Battle of Babes

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports correspondent

A keen tussle is expected when St. Sylvester’s College takes on Vidyartha College in their 52nd “Battle of the Babes” to be played at the Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy today and Saturday (March 19 and 20) and this will also signal the end of the big matches in the hill capital for the season. Play will commence at 9.45 a.m. on Friday and at 9.30 a.m. on the second day.

The Sylvestrians fresh after their tour of Jaffna last week will be led by fourth year coloursman Nuwan Nilantha who has shown consistency with the bat and scored 515 runs and his off spinners has brought him a haul of 30 wickets.

Third year coloursman Dananjaya Athauda another top allrounder is the vice captain of the side. He has scored over 350 runs and captured 46 wickets.

The Sylvestrians have played 14 matches, won 1, lost 4 and drawn 9.

Fresher Dilepa Gayashan leads the run race with 570 runs including a century against St. Aloysius College, Galle.

The other top performers with the bat are Menuka Nanayakkara (467 runs), Ruwantha Ekanayake (400 runs), Waruna Wijesinghe (313 runs), Kanishka Herath (325 runs) and Niluka Kandadderage (150 runs).

It will be Dananjaya Athauda who will be spearheading the pace attack with Waruna Wijesinghe (19 wickets) with Janitha Herath completing the three pronged pace attack.

Fifteen year old Dushan Malalasena, a right arm leg spinner has been most successful with 32 wickets. Other spinners in the side are off spinners Diliepa Gayashan (25 wkts), Nuwan Nilantha (27 wkts) and Faiz Ahamed (20 wkts) and will have the support of two leg spinners in Ruwantha Ekanayake and Kanishka Herath. Menuka Nanayakkara with 50 victims is the stumper of the side.

Thirantha Dissanayake - a fourth year coloursman who has gone over 600 runs will lead a talented Vidyartha side. Last season he scored a fighting knock of 112 against a strong Trinity attack at Asgiriya which he rates as his best ever innings.

Vice captain and third year coloursman Kasun Wijekoon too has scored over 650 runs which includes an epic 142 against Trinity College at the Asgiriya Stadium which kept the Lions at bay.

This duo should form the nucleus of Vidyartha’s batting. The other capable batsmen in the side are last year’s skipper Sameera Abeyratne (450 runs), Dinusha Gunatillake (530 runs), Chamil Chandrasiri (350 runs), Niluksha Galapitige (250 runs) and Keshan Gamage (150 runs).

Last year’s skipper Sameera Abeyratne (30 wkts) and Kasun Wijekoon (35 wkts) will share the new ball. But they will bank their hopes on their spinners to restrict their opponents. Off spinner Tilina Rupasena with 45 wickets is ahead of others followed by leg spinner Samitha Attanayake with 40 wickets. The others who could deliver the slow stuff are off spinner Thirantha Dissanayake (20 wkts), off spinner Tharindu Ranaweera (25 wkts), leg spinner Keshan Gamage (20 wkts), Stumper Ruwan Bandara has 40 victims behind the stumps.

Vidyartha have played 10 matches, won one, lost two and drawn seven games.

St. Sylvester’s College (from): Nuwan Nilantha (captain), Dananjaya Athauda (Vice captain), Niluka Kandaderage, Menuka Nanayakkara, Thiwanka Gunaratne, Diliepa Gayashan, Dushan Malalasena, Kanishka Herath, Faiz Ahamed, Ruwantha Ekanayake, Waruna Wijesinghe, Sampath Karunaratne, Janith Herath, Akalanka Dissanayake, Kasun Sankalpa.

Vidyartha College (from): Thirantha Dissanayake (captain), Kasun Wijekoon, Sameera Abeyratne, Dinusha Gunatillake, Ruwan Bandara, Chamil Chandrasiri, Niluksha Galapitige, Keshan Gamage, Tilina Rupasena, Samitha Attanayake, Tharindu Ranaweera, Kanishka Senaviratne, Devaka Abeywardena, Indika Ranaweera, Kasun Chathuranga, Muditha Elpitiya, Chinthaka Deshapriya, Sasura Senadheera and Nuwan Kumara.