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| Sunday, 13 March 2005 |
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126th 'Battle of the Blues' : Thomians by innings after five years by Srian Obeyesekere S. Thomas' College bled arch rivals Royal College to an innings and 28-run defeat claiming the last four wickets in only eight overs between skipper Vidhyesh Subramaniam and opening bowler Sajith Kularatne on the resumption of the third and final day of the 126th 'Battle of the Blues' at the SSC grounds yesterday. It was all over by 10. 43 a.m. bar the shouting. The spectators were still streaming into the sight of a vacant middle. Only the strains of music and Thomian hurrahs heralding the breaking of a 5-year old jinx was a reminder that the 'Big Match' had come and gone. The picturesque scoreboard told the rest. Royal was bowled out for 218 in their second innings. Royal's first jolt came when their only hope overnight batsman Sukitha Senaratne, resuming on 92, played tentatively back without offering a stroke to a Kularatne snorter to see his stumps go crashing in only the second ball of the day. With it crashed any hopes Royal, who needed 47 runs more to avoid the follow on, had of saving the match. A valiant 102-run partnership between Senaratne and Dulanjaya Wijeratne for the seventh wicket had ended. The promise held in Royal breasts with the only semblance of resolute batting Royal had put together the previous day had gone with Senaratne's departure. His sterling knock was studded with 11 boundaries off 129 balls in a stay of 251 minutes. The mopping up operation was completed by Subramaniam who accounted for the last three wickets - the last two in successive deliveries - with his leg breaks in his fourth over and the eighth of the day. Wijeratne departed for 48 having added 9 more to his overnight score when he was snapped up by second slip Shashrika Pussegolla when he adged the second delivery. Nadun Punchihewa, who struck the only boundary of the day seven overs earlier, off Subramaniam, followed, identically taken by Pussegolla off the fifth delivery to give the Thomian sweet revenge before having last man Haroon Mowjood well held at silly point off Nisham Mazahir in the next delivery. 'Man of the match was Thomian Ashan Peiris for his knock of 125. The victory serenade that followed meant much to the Thomians. They last won in 1999 under Naren Ratwatte. Subramaniam's final analysis read 4 wickets for 54 runs off 15 overs. Kularatne had 2 for 31. In an encounter played on a low key in remembering the victims of the December tsunami tragedy, the Thomians, coached by a former captain Ranil Abeynaike, in a long time, yet had reason to 'rally round the college flag' as the post-match voices sang. For they had put an end to the near customary long drawn out yawns of 'no decisions'. Only two decisions coming in 14 years - Royal's in 1991 under Rohan Iriyagolle - before Ratwatte doing it for the Thomians. Of course, the spirit of the traditionally knit schools would go into the night at the SSC. None of the 'die hards' were leaving. The early end was not going to stop the party as the day ticked by to the noon hour of lunch to the sounds of music. The 'Blue, Black and Blue' colours majestic in victory. 'The Blue, Gold and Blue' sunk but not out as some die hards sang and beat drums outside the SSC gates to drown their sorrows. |
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