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Kandy's 95th 'Battle of the Blues':

Lions ready to roast Eagles

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.

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