Kandy's 95th 'Battle of the Blues':
Lions ready to roast Eagles
S M Jiffrey ABDEEN Kandy sports corr
Lions are ready to roast the Eagles when Trinity College takes on St
Anthony's College in their Kandy's 95th 'Battle of the Blues' which will
be played today and on Saturday at Katugastota with play commencing at
9.45 am on the first and at 9.30 am on the second day.
Trinity College who are unbeaten and have registered ten outright
victories against three by their opponents go out clear favourites to
win this match. But the Antonians are ready to stall them or even to
turn the tables and not allow their stronger opponents to call the
shots.
Ninety four battles have been fought out and Trinity College are in
the lead with 22 wins against 12 by the Antonians while 60 matches have
ended in draws including the last 17 of them. The last time a decision
was reached in this encounter was in 1992 when Umesh de Alwis led the
Antonians to victory and the match being over before lunch.
The Trinity College victory came in 1986 when Thushara Weerasuriya
led them to victory. Thus the Lions have a 23 year old 'jinx' to roast.
This year they have the best chance are doing this.
The Lions owe their ten match lead in the series to their fine
performance between the years 1915 to 1933 when they won 13 encounters
while losing one and drawing none. They also won 11 matches in a row.
Trinity College will be led this year by cricket lion and allrounder
Akila Jayasinghe who has scored over 600 runs and also captured 40
wickets with his leg spinners.
This season he has been not bowling much giving the other spinners to
run through their opponents batting.
Vice captain
Wicket keeper opening batsman Niroshan Dickwella is the vice captain
of the side having scored over 700 runs and also has 30 victims behind
the stumps.
Trinity has played 17 matches this season winning 10 and drawing the
rest.
Their 10 outright victories in a season is a record for a Kandy
school. Seven of them were registered in a row.
There is plenty of depth in the Lions batting with Kavinda Jayasuriya
650 runs, Janishka Premasinghe 350 runs, Heshan Wanniarachchi 500 runs
Tiss a Sanjeewa Bandara 300 runs, Ron Chandragupta 300 runs, Keheliya
Athugoda 300 runs, Rajitha Jayatunga 300 runs, Dinuk Wickremanayake 250
runs.
Opening the attack
Opening the attack for the Lions will be Tissa Sanjeewa Bandara (40
wickets) and Alwin Fernando (20 wickets). But Trinity's forte is their
spin attack which will be in the hands of, off spinner Janishka
Premasinghe who has captured 85 wickets and left arm spinner Aamil Anas
who has a haul of 80 wickets and this duo have run through most of their
opponents batting.
Aamil Anas in particular has the best bowling analysis this season
having captured four wickets in four balls.
Additional spinners in the side are Akila Jayasundera, off spinner
Kavinda Jayasuriya (20 wickets), off spinner Heshan Wanniarachchi (20
wickets).
St Anthony's College will be led by fifth year coloursman and winner
of the 'Eagle'. A fine opening bat who has scored 910 runs this season
including four centuries. Perhaps he has reserved this big occasion to
score his 1,000 runs for the season which he has done in the years 2009
and 2010 which puts in the ranks of one of the greatest Antonian batsmen
in the likes of late Charlie Joseph, A C M Lafir, Wijepala Premaratne,
Franklin Burke, Sajith Fernando just to name a few.
All rounder
All rounder Arvinda Premaratne also playing in his fifth year is the
vice captain of the side. A fine right arm off spinner who has captured
82 wickets and has also scored over 400 runs this season.
The Antonians have played 15 matches this season winning 3, losing 1
and drawing the rest.
The Antonians except for skipper Hiran Wickremasekera has been
disappointing this season as they have not clicked together which has
resulted in totals little in excess of 120 in many matches. They have a
strong batting line up but have not performed consistently.
Skipper
To bolster their batting will be skipper Hiran Wickremasekera, deputy
skipper Arvinda Premaratne, Manoj Saratchchanda 550 runs, Yohan Woods
400 runs, Pulasthi de Silva 350 runs, Kanishka Ranaraja 400 runs, Aruna
Bandara 400 runs, Saranga Rajaguru, Madushan Pusswella and Nimesha
Gunasinghe.
The new balls will be in the hands of Kanishka Ranaraja (40 wickets)
Dinuk Herath or Tharaka Jayasinghe who has not lived up to expectations
this season. Like the Lions, the Eagles too will rely on their spinners
to deliver the goods. Off spinner Arvinda Premaratne will lead with 82
wickets. Off spinner Aruna Bandara (20 wickets). Sri Lanka under 19
cricketer and leg spinner Saranga Rajaguru (25 wickets) off spinner
Thushan Hettige (30 wickets), off spinner Nimesha Gunasinghe, and leg
spinner Romesh Macwin.
Manoj Sarathchandra is the stumper of the side and has 40 victims
while his understudy Yohan Woods has 20 victims.
Trinity is coached by former D S Senanayake College captain Sampath
Perera and St Anthony's College by Old Antonian Champika Siriwardena.
Trinity College (from) Akila Jayasundera (captain), Niroshan
Dickwella (vice captain), Kavinda Jayasuriya, Janishka Premasinghe,
Aamil anas, Heshan Wanniarachchi, Tissa Sanjeewa Bandara, Ron
Chandragupta, Keheliya Athugoda, Rajitha Jayatunga, Dinuk Wickremanayake,
Alwin Fernando, Lakshitha Dissanayake, Bhaghya Pallihawadana, Amrith
Sirimanne, Tharindu Makuldeniya and Madhushan Subendran.
St Anthony's College (from) Hiran Wickremasekera (captain),
Arvinda Premaratne (vice captain), Manoj Sarathchandra, Kanishka
Ranaraja, Yohan Woods, Aruna Bandara, Madushan Pusswella, Nimesha
Gunasinghe, Pulasthi de Silva, Saranga Rajaguru, Thushan Hettige,
Tharaka Jayasinghe, Dinuk Herath, Romesh Macwin, Himesha Kodituwakku,
Bhathiya Liyanage. |