Royal determined to make a winning comeback

Dinesh WEERAWANSA

Royal College, Colombo is making a determined effort to make a winning comeback after some crucial setbacks earlier during the season when they take on their traditional rivals S.Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia in their 133rd Battle of the Blues three-day cricket encounter which starts at SSC grounds, Colombo on Thursday. Discipline should always come first, be it in sports, education or any other area. Hence, Royal Principal Upali Gunasekera should be commended for the bold decision he took to maintain discipline earlier during the season. As a result, Royal had to play three key matches with a makeshift team, virtually with their second X1 team.

Nevertheless, their team has now overcome those early setbacks and is roaring to come out with their best performance for the season when it matters the most.

Despite losing services of star players such as Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Ramith Rambukwella from last year’s side, Royal still has services of not less than seven coloursmen. But they have not been to show their true potential so far and convert that experience and talents into results due to injuries. In addition, some of their senior most players, including the regular captain, were compelled to miss some key first term matches as they were suspended due to disciplinary reasons.

But the Reid Avenue boys have regrouped well to paint an improved picture in recent games in their lead up to the big ’un – especially against Prince of Wales, Thurstan and Trinity. Royal will go to the big match with just a solitary win to their credit - against Isipathana.

They have also suffered defeats at the hands of Richmond, St.Sebastian's and Wesley. The most disappointing of them was in the centenary-old series against Wesley for Sir Frank Gunasekera memorial trophy, which Royal lost after 43 years.

Imal Liyanage, who has been entrusted with the task of leading Royal after the disciplinary action, has proved his credentials with the willow, aggregating 800 runs this season.

However, he has not been able to convert any of his half centuries to a three-figure mark, often throwing his wicket away in nervous nineties.

He will have to play a big innings and play the anchor role if Royalists are to put up a healthy total on the board. Roaneka Ahangamage, who has already scored a century this season, is another player who could keep the scoreboard moving with his skipper.

Royal’s chances of restricting Thomian batting mainly depends on the accuracy of their spin duo - Devin Pathmanathan (left-arm leg) and Poorna Aluthge (right-arm off) who have made it a habit of capturing wickets at every given opportunity, sharing nearly 90 wickets between them. Experienced Pathmanathan has been the more aggressive of the two, bagging a total of 53 wickets this season.

Aluthge too could have easily captured over 50 wickets, if not for being sidelined by injuries. He is also a useful lower middle order batsman.

Royal has made a good progress in recent times, despite their various ups and downs in the early part of the season.

They opened their 2011/12 season with a bang, after being shot out for mere 27 runs in the second innings in the first outing against Richmond. But they have lately been able to put up a total of 400 runs plus, which speaks volumes of Royal batting, if they focus properly.

Over the past 14 decades, Royal has produced some top Sri Lanka players. Heading that galaxy of national stars is former Royal, NCC and Sri Lanka captain Ranjan Madugalle, now the Chief ICC Match Referee. He had the distinction of leading Royal in the 100th Battle of the Blues encounter, which the writer witnessed as a middle school student of Reid Avenue school.

The longest unbeaten run for Royal in the series was from 1965 to 1987. During the 23-year period without a single big match defeat, Royal emerged victorious on two occasions while the rest of the 21 games were drawn.

Royal's last back-to-back victories in the series were recorded in 1990 and 1991 under Udaya Lakmal Wijesena and Rohan Irriyagolla respectively.

Having lost the 2007 encounter by an innings and 44-runs inside two days and 95 minutes of play, followed by a drawn game last year, Royal has an outside chance of pulling off a win to level the series, which began way back in 1879.

Royalist Sumithra Warnakulasuriya’s marathon knock of 197 in 1980 has been the highest individual innings in the series. Besides Warnakulasuriya, the only other Royalist to score a 'big match century' on debut was Jagath Pattiarachchi, whoc made 100 not out in 1974.

Royal also accounts for the highest ever partnership for any wicket in the series - 254 runs (for the third wicket) between Anushka Polonnowita (164) and Yasas Dharmarathne (124) in 1996. Nigel Fernando is the youngest ever Royal captain in the series.

He was only six days short of his 17th birthday when he led the Reid Avenue school in 1989. In 1983, Royal's Rochana Jayawardene probably produced the best allround effort, stroking an unbeaten 145 not out and taking 5 for 29 and 4 for 44 (a match-bag of 9 for 73). In 1930, Barney Gunasekera of Royal too, had a impressive match analysis a top score of 148 and 7 for 57. The highest total recorded by Royal is 432 for 7 declared in 2006.

Of the 132 encounters played todate, S.Thomas' takes a slight lead with 34 wins to Royal's 33 with the rest drawn. Royal last won the big match in 2006 under the leadership of Nadun Punchihewa.