Chris Dhambarage
COLOMBO :The 145th Battle of the Blues Inter-School Big match between the traditional rivals Royal College and S. Thomas’ College ended in a tame draw at the SSC Grounds in Maitland Place today.
The Thomians batting the second time reached 229 for four wickets at stumps for an overall lead of 248 runs after Royal had earlier declared their first innings at 278 for nine.
S. Thomas’ had a dismal start to their second innings as their opener Senadhi Bulankulame was dismissed for a second-ball duck.
Dineth Gunawardena joined Sadew Soysa, and the pair steadied the innings with a solid second wicket stand of 49 runs. The former went on to hit a top score of 74 from 210 balls with the help of five boundaries and two sixes and added 104 runs for the third wicket with Skipper Mahith Perera, who made a splendid 63 from 151 deliveries inclusive of one six and five boundaries.
Earlier, the Royal late order batsmen rallied around well to put some valuable runs on the board after having resumed their first innings at 234 for seven.
Nethwin Dharmaratne and Bulan Weerathunga frustrated the S. Thomas’ bowlers to a certain extent with the former making a painstaking 41 from 103 deliveries.
Opening bowler Ashen Perera added another wicket to his tally and ended with the best bowling figures of five for 74 in 34 overs.
SCOREBOARD
S. Thomas’ 1st innings 297
Royal 1st innings
Isula Geeganage lbw b Perera 00
Rehan Peris b Fernando 01
Sineth Jayawardena c and b Diego 92
Ovina Ambanpola c and b Perera 36
Yasindu Dissanayake b Diego 01
Ramiru Perera lbw b A. Perera 23
Dineth Senaratne c Soysa b A. Perera 33
Nethwin Dharmaratne c Soyza b Caldera 41
Bulan Weeratunga c and b A. Perera 16
Ranuka Malaviarachchi not out 09
Yenula Bandara not out 00
Extras: (b15, lb6, nb4, w1) 26
Total (For 9 wickets decl in 102.2 overs) 278
Fall: 1-1, 2-1, 3-127, 4-130, 5-164, 6-164, 7-233, 8-259, 9-277
Bowling: Akash Fernando 7-3-30-1, Ashen Perera 34-10-74-5, Nathan Caldera 21.2-6-45-1, Kavindu Dias 8-0-22-0, Abheeth Paranawidana 9-1-22-0, Darien Diego 20-4-40-2, Dineth Gunawardena 2-0-14-0, Mahith Perera 1-0-10-0
S. Thomas’ 2nd innings
Sadew Soyza b R. Perera 33
Senadhi Bulankulame c Dissanayake b Weerathunga 00
Dineth Gunawardena c and b R. Perera 74
Mahith Perera c and b Jayawardena 63
Thisen Eheliyagoda not out 31
Nathan Caldera not out 20
Extras: (b8) 08
Total: (4 wicket in 86 overs) 229
Fall: 1-11, 2-60, 3-164, 4-189
Bowling: Bulan Weerathunga 4-0-10-1, Dinura Senaratne 2-0-16-0, Sineth Jayawardena 32-9-53-1, Ranuka Malaviarachchi 5-1-13-0, Yenula Bandara 8-4-11-0, Ramiru Perera 27-5-86-2, Nethwin Dharmaratne 8-2-27-0
