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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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Isipathana holds the aces to force win in 41st clash with Thurstan by LAL GUNESEKERA Big matches of the current schools cricket season gets under way next week with the 41st confrontation between traditional rivals Thurstan and Isipathana for the Blacham Wijewardene Memorial Trophy at the SSC grounds, Maitland Place on February 21 and 22. Thurstan heads the series with five wins to Isipathana's four, while 30 matches have ended in draws and one game in 1971 not being played. Thurstan's last win was in 1992 under Mackenzie Perera, while Isipathana last won in 1999 under Krishantha Jayawardene. Isipathana, with a stronger side, led by Saman Nishantha have fared well this season with wins over S. Thomas' by an innings, St. Aloysius by 10 wickets and Dharmapala also by an innings, while the rest of the 12 games have been drawn. Thurstan, on the other hand, have played 14 matches beating only Revatha MV by an innings, while losing to D.S. Senanayake College by 9 wickets and Nalanda also by 9 wickets. Isipathana's skipper Saman Nishantha who comes in as No. 3 has been their most successful batsman, scoring over 600 runs with two centuries - 131 vs Sri Jayawardenepura MV and 113 vs Nalanda. He is also an useful right-arm spinner with 15 wickets. He also missed a well deserved century (97) against the Bens. Among the other leading batsmen in the side are: Tharaka Waduge with three half centuries (93 vs Dharmasoka, 69 vs St. Joseph's and 67 vs S. Thomas'), two by Mario Amarasinghe, Isuru Vindana and Gihan Dilruk, while Dilan Anuradha and Liyan de Silva have scored one each. Isipathana's right-arm medium paceman Nilanchana Sankalpa is the highest wicket-taker with 55 wickets, while left-arm leg-spinner Chatuska Wickremaratne too has done well with 50 wickets. Tharaka Waduge (medium-pace) has taken 39 scalps this season, while others who have chipped in are Sanjaya Dilruksha (17), Liyan de Silva (16), Gihan Dilruk (15) and Saman Nishantha (13). One of Thurstan's highest scorers this season has been Charith Wickremaratne who knocked up 122 against Dharmapala. He also made 60 vs Kingswood. The other two centurions have been Sithuka Nameera Gamage (103 vs Maris Stella) and Shehan Perera (100 not out against Revatha MV). Their skipper Osuka Mahaarachchi have four half centuries to his name (55 vs Wesley unbeaten 62 vs S. Thomas', 61 vs Royal and 76 vs Lumbini) is the highest run getter, while Heshan Galagoda missed a well deserved century (95) against Maliyadeva and scoring two other half centuries against Kingswood (50) and Revatha MV (55). Thilina Masmulla too missed a well deserved century (97) against Nalanda and getting 50 vs Revatha MV. Roshan Balasuriya too got a half century (51 not out vs Revatha MV). Thurstan's leading wicket taker has been S. Nameera with 56 'scalps' followed by Elvitigala (26) and Amarasinghe (22), while Masmulla has chipped in with 13. Thurstan: (from): - Osuka Mahaarachchi (captain), Thilina Masmulla (vice-captain), Sithuka Nameera Gamage, Roshan Balasuriya, Gayan Amarasinghe, Charith Wickremaratne, Shehan Perera, Heshan Galagoda, Kanishka Elvitigala, Chamila Isanka, Tharaka Lakmal de Silva, Buddhi Heshan Samarawickreme, Ranga Nirosh Ratnayake, Muditha Nirosh Perera, Asoor Samsudeen, Ishan Galagoda and Lahiru Sampath. Isipathana (from); - Saman Nishantha (captain), Dilan Anuradha (vice captain), Isuru Vindana, Tharaka Waduge, Sanjaya Dilruksha, Nilanchana Sankalpa, Mario Amarasinghe, Gihan Dilruk, Chathuska Wickremaratne, Liyan de Silva, Gayan Wijesinghe and Visuddhi Kaluwitharana. |
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