Rajans in grand win over Kingswood

S M Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy sports correspondent

Dharmaraja College broke a 30 year old “hoodoo” when they registered an easy seven wicket win over their traditional rivals Kingswood College in their 105th Kandy’s “Battle of the Maroons” played at the Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium Pallekelle on Saturday.

This was Rajans 32nd win in the series against 19 by Kingwsood College while 54 games have ended in draws. The last Rajans win came in 1980 under Janaka Mendis. The last Kingswood win was way back in 1958 under Daily News schoolboy cricketer of the year Maurice Fernando. This victory by the Rajans was a foregone conclusion and all pre-match predictions indicated that.

The Rajans outplayed their opponents from the first ball of the match as their opponents struggled all the way and even their fight for survival on the second day did not have the desired effect.

After skittling out their opponents for 117 in the first innings the Rajans threw the game open at their overnight total of 169 for 9.

Kingswoodians trailing behind by 52 runs on the first innings were off to a poor start losing their first four wickets for 21 runs.

A stubborn stand of 49 for the fifth wicket between Lakshitha Madushan 31 (3 fours, 50 balls) and skipper Yasindu Athukorale 17 (4 fours, 78 balls) took the score upto 71 before two more wickets fell at the same total making it 71 for 6. At lunch, Yasindu Athukorala had 73 dot balls in his knock and survival was foremost in his mind.

Despite some strong rear guard action which saw them survive temporarily before being all out for 127.

This left the Rajans the easy target of 76 runs to win which they achieved for the loss of three wickets. Nuwan Karunaratne of Dharmaraja College was adjudged the Man of the Match and Hemal Munaweera as the Best Alrounder.

The scores

Kingswood College 117 and 127 all out in 69.1 overs (Lakshitha Madhushan 31, Yasindu Athukorale 17, Madhusha Premawardena 20, Nuwan Unamboowe 17, Nuwan Karunaratne 3 for 36, Hemal Munaweera 1 for 8, Deneth Lanka 1 for 8, Lahiru Herath 2 for 6, Arvinda Withanarahcchi 1 for 28, Mayura Ratnayake 1 for 22, Sasanka Nakkawita 1 for 8).

Dharmaraja College 169 for 6 decl. and 76 for 3 in 20.5 overs (Kavinda Wijekoon 12, Sasith Guansekara 10, Sadun Weerakoddy 24, Hemal Munaweera not out 12, Lahiru Herath not out 13, Yasindu Athukorala 1 for 11, Chamila Gunasekera 1 for 12, Lakshitha Madushan 1 for 11).