Sylvestrians go out favourites

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy Sports Corre

St Sylvesters College with a better winning record should tip the scales in their favour at the 53rd "Battle of Babes" against Vidyartha College which will be played today and tomorrow (April 1 and 2) at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Pallekelle with play commencing at 9.45 am each day.

Fifty-two matches have been played in the series and the Sylvestrians have a clear lead of 14 wins against 3 by Vidyarthians. The last time a decision was reached in this match was in 2009 albeit through a default after Vidyartha College did not take the field after play was suspended temporarily due to bad light. The light conditions improved and when the two umpires wanted to resume play, the Vidyarthians did not make their appearance in the field. The match referee Bernard Perera awarded the match to St Sylvesters College. The last time Vidyarthians won this match was way back in 1967 under R M Lafir.

St Sylvesters College will be led by fourth year coloursman Menuka Nanayakkara, an attractive batsman who has scored 661 runs during the season.

Niluka Kandaderage, second year coloursman is the vice captain of the side. A fine leftarm spinner with a haul of 45 wickets who will open the attack. He has also scored 260 runs.

The Sylvestrians have played 14 matches, winning four (Revatha Vidyalaya, Kingswood College, Dharmapala Vidyalaya and Kegalu Vidyalaya. They have lost five matches to top schools like Trinity, St Anthony's, Ananda, St Sebastians and De Mazenod, Kandana).

Apart from the skipper and his deputy the other main run getters are Ruwantha Ekanayake (666 runs), Waruna Wijesinghe (410 runs), Faiz Ahamed (310 runs), Dushan Malalasena (310 runs), Sumedha Dissanayake (300 runs), Thivanka Gunaratne (290 runs), and Sasanka Nawaratne (290 runs).

A pace - spin combination will spearhead the attack - Waruna Wijesinghe will open from one and and the other will be leftarm spinner Niluka Kandaderage (45 wickets). They will depend on their spinners to restrict their opponents. They have leg spinner Ruwantha Ekanayake (30 wkts), off spinner Faiz Ahamed (35 wkts), leg spinner Dushan Malalasena (27 wkts), left arm spinner Sumedha Dissanayake (25 wkts), leftarm spinner Nimesha Mendis (35 wkts), Sasanka Nawaratne is the stumper of the side and has 45 victims to his credit.

The team is coached by former St Sylvesters and Kandy CC cricketer Julian Arnolda with Salinda de Silva as the Master-in-Charge.

Vidyartha College will be led by fourth year coloursman Tharindu Ranaweera who has scored 400 runs during the season and also bowls off spinners occasionally.

But it is to their deputy skipper and fourth year coloursman Ushan Wickremasinghe the Vidyarthians will rely their hopes of making an impression on this match. Ushan Wickremasinghe has scored over 600 runs and also captured 60 wickets with his off spinners and is the best allrounder of the side often coming out with fine performances with the bat and the ball.

Vidyartha College have played 15 matches and won 2 (Taxila - Horana and Sri Devananda, Ambalangoda), lost 3 (Trinity, St Anthony's and Rahula College).

They will depend for runs from the bats of Tharindu Ranaweera, Ushan Wickremasinghe, Nilusha Galapitiyage (680 runs), Ruwan Bandara (680 runs), Tilina Rupasena (200 runs), Samitha Attanayake (275 runs), Keshan Gamage (437 runs).

Isuru Weerasinghe (27 wkts) will open the attack with Samitha Attanayake (37 wkts).

Like their opponents they will depend a lot on their spinners with off spinner Ushan Wickremasinghe (60 wkts) leading the way.

St Sylvesters College (from) Menuka Nanayakkara (Captain), Niluka Kandaderage (Vice Captain), Ruwantha Ekanayake, Waruna Wijesinghe, Faiz Ahamed, Dushan Malalasena, Nimesh Mendis, Thivanka Gunaratne, Sumedha Dissanayake, Sasanka Nawaratne, Hashan Wanigasekera, Indunil Samarananda, Dilan de Mel, Hansamal Perera, Haroon Razik, Danjua Hettiarachchi and Priyantha Tennakoon.

Vidyartha College (from) Tharindu Ranaweera (Captain), Ushan Wickremasinghe (Vice Captain), Nilusha Galapitiyage, Samitha Attanayake, Keshan Gamage, Ruwan Bandara, Tilina Rupasena, Isuru Weerasinghe, Chanaka Ratnayake, Kasun Nawaratne, Subhas Senadeera, Ravindu Dissanayake, Pathum Colombage, Muditha Elpitiyage, Chintaka Lokuliyana, Diluka Seneviratne, Saranga Narampanawa, Dasun Nawaratne and Kasun Colombage.