Trinity will be the team to watch

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Corr

Trinity College with six successive outright wins under their belt should be a team to watch this season, as they have the potential to steamroll their opponents.

Led by all rounder and cricket Lion Akila Jayasundera the Trinitians have conquered all their opponents this season. They beat St Sylvester's, Kingswood, Vidyartha, Nalanda, Thurstan and St Peter's. Their win against St Peter's was most memorable as first day's play was curtailed by foul weather but they batted aggressively to put the pressure back on the Saints.

This paid dividends and the Peterites were forced to defend to avoid defeat. They defended bravely but did not have sufficient runs on the board to insulate themselves from defeat.

The Lions won by 10 wickets with rain drops falling shortly after tea.

Their match against Vidyartha too was won with ease. Though over a 100 minutes of play was lost on the first day, they won the match in the first over after lunch on the second day.

Here again they bowled and batted positively.

Akila Jayasundera has led the team from the front. His left arm spinners brought him a haul of 108 wickets two seasons ago which he achieved though missing 4 matches.

This earned him the coveted cricket 'Lion'. He is also an aggressive batsman having scored 400 runs this season including an unbeaten century.

The side has no less than four centurions in skipper Jayasundera, opener Niroshan Dickwella, Heshan Wanniarachchi and Kavinda Jayasuriya.

Apart from this foursome, others who could help swell the total are Rajitha Jayatunga, Kheliya Athugoda, Tissa Sanjeewa Bandara, Dinuk Wickramanayake, Lakshitha Dassanayake, Janishka Premasinghe, Alwin Fernando.

Two medium pacers Alwin Fernando and Tissa Sanjeewa Bandara have performed well with the new ball.

But Trinity's strong point has been their spin attack led by skipper Jayasundera followed by left armer Aamil Anas, off spinners Janishka Premasinghe, Heshan Wanniarachchi, Kavinda Jayasuriya and Rajitha Jayatunga.

Anas with 30 wickets to his credit this season has been a match winner.

This Trinity side has debunked the loose talk that it is made up of players who joined the school to play cricket.

There are only two players in Tissa Bandara and Heshan Wanniarachchi who came over to Trinity to play under 17 cricket and rest of the team is made up of players who have been in the school from the very junior grades and have played for the school at all age groups.

Their coach Sampath Perera has done an excellent job in moulding the team into a fighting outfit.

Trinity College will play their first match this term when they take on Wesley College at Campbell Park on January 3 and 4.

Trinity's main aim this season is to win their big match against St Anthony's College which they have not done so since 1986 under Thushara Weerasuriya.