Royal dominates over Antonians

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen – Kandy Sports Correspondent

Royal College looked set for the kill as 24 wickets fell on the first day of their inter-school cricket match against St. Anthony’s College, Kandy which began at Katugastota yesterday. The match will be continued today at 9.30 a.m.

Following heavy rain on the previous day the start was delayed by 50 minutes and this could not be adjusted towards the end though play went up to 6 p.m. There were 11 more overs to be bowled when bad light stopped.

Royal College took first lease of the wicket as they found it extremely difficult to bat on a wicket which the ball turned prodigiously. They were 60 for 6 at one stage.

Royal College skipper Devin Pathmanathan who came to bat at this stage did the correct thing by striking the ball hard and out of the grounds and not allowing the bowlers to turn the ball.

He first put on 36 for the seventh wicket with Chamika Karunaratne (21) and a further 47 with Poorna Aluthge (15) which boosted the Royal College total and took them past the 150 mark.

Devinda Pathmanathan played a skipper’s knock of 66 not out which was studded with 6 sky scraper sixes and 2 fours and faced only 41 deliveries.

He came too lower down in the batting order and had he come earlier, the way he batted a hundred was there was for his asking.

Off spinner Sachin Bulathsinhala bowled extremely well for the Antonian taking 5 for 47. His figures would have been much better if not for the ‘slick’ he received from Devin Pathmanathan.

When the Antonians batted one expected to stay at the wicket and gather their runs chasing the right ball to play.

The openers put on 21 before being separated but they lost the next four wickets for the addition of only 4 runs and the total stumped to 24 for 5. The tail failed to wag and they were dismissed for 54 in just 24.2 overs.

The Royalists field very well and brought off some fine catches which had the Antonians in trouble.

Off spinner Poorna Aluthge took 4 for 7 while medium pacer Anupa Thilakaratne had figures of 3 for 22 on a wicket which was not helpful to medium pacer.

Following on 114 runs behind the Antonians were 34 for 4 in 19 overs. They need a further 80 runs to avoid an innings defeat with a whole day to do.

At the wickets are lost of the recognised batsmen skipper Sachin Bulathsinhala and Nimesh Gunasinghe and they will have to perform the act of Horatio if they are to save the game which looks improbable.

Royal College 168 all out in 32 over 122 mins. (Sharminda Dias 15, Isuru Gunatilleke 14, Hashen Ramanayake 13, Chamika Karunaratne 21, Devin Pathmanathan 66 not out, Poorna Aluthge 15, Charles Praveen 2 for 21, Sachin Bulathsinhala 5 for 47).

St. Anthony’s College 54 all out in 24.2 overs 92 mins. (Viraj Deepal 17, Sachin Bulathsinhala 13, Anupa Thilakaratne 3 for 22, Poorna Aluthge 4 for 7) and 34 for 4, 19 overs 79 mts. (Nimesh Gunasinghe 17, Devin Pathmanathan 2 for 10, Poorna Aluthge 1 for 7, Chamika Karunaratne 1 for 6).