Wesley take major honours

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Correspondent

Wesley College took the major honours despite a heroic effort by St Anthony's College skipper and opener Hiran Wickremasekera in their inter-school cricket match which ended in a draw at Katugastota yesterday.

The Antonians had to chase a huge 300 for 9 wickets by their opponents and they just failed to avoid the follow by three runs. Skipper Hiran Wickramasekera who opened the batting carried his bat through the innings by making 100 not out hitting 10 fours and facing 202 balls.

This was one of the few occasions in which a schoolboy had carried his bat through the innings. But the batsman who really stole the show was Wesleyite Damintha Ashane Fonseka who was dropped when on 28 sprayed the Antonian bowling to all parts of the grounds in making a top class knock of 127 facing only 147 balls and hit 6 sixes and 11 fours and was associated in a third wicket stand of 111 with R S Suriyakumaran who made 43.

Left-arm spinner Sachin Jayawardena bowled well to capture 6 for 52 for Wesley College. Sri Lanka Junior National cricketer Saranga Rajaguru playing his first match for Antonians disappointed by capturing 1 for 94.

Wesley College: 300 for 9 declared in 91.5 overs (D Sivakrishnan 12, N K Lakshan Perera 35, R S Suriyakumaran 43, Ashane Fonseka 127, A T Kariyawasam 16, M S Thowfeek 34 n.o, Tharaka Jayasinghe 2 for 20, Aravinda Premaratne 4 for 57, Thushan Hettige 2 for 39).

St Anthony's College: 197 all out in 72.4 overs (Hiran Wickremesekera 100 n.o, Yohan Woods 26, K B Ranaraja 14, A Premaratne 17, Tharaka Jayasinghe 14, R S Suriyakumaran 2 for 50, Sachin Jayawardena 6 for 52) and 112 for 3 in 21 overs (Hiran Wickremesekera 11, Yohan Woods 40, Manoj Sarathchandra 13, Pulasthi de Silva 28 n.o).