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| Sunday, 13 March 2005 |
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99th Battle of the Maroons.... : Kingswood and Dharmaraja look for decision by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Correspondent Dharmaraja College will take on Kingswood College in the oldest 'Big Match' in the hill capital - the 99th 'Battle of the Maroons' at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Friday and Saturday - March 18 and 19. This match will be played for the T. B. Tennekoon Memorial Shield. Play commences on both days at 9.45 a.m. This battle is actually 100 years old but only 99 matches had been played as the Kingwoodians did not field a cricket team in the early seventies. According to history, the first match was played on 11th March, 1905 at the police Barracks in Kandy and Kingswood won by an innings and 47 runs. A total of 98 matches have been played to-date and the Rajans lead the race with 31 wins against 19 by the Kingswoodians while 48 matches have been left drawn. The Rajans last won in 1980 under Janaka Mendis and the Kingswood captain that year was R. Ratnayake. But the last Kingswood victory came in 1958 under Maurice Fernando who later became the Daily News Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year and the Rajan captain that year was D. D. T. Alwis. Thus this match has not produced a result for the last 24 years which is the Rajans drought but the Kingswoodians have a 46 year 'jinx' to roast. Considering the strength of the two teams and weather conditions in the hill capital these days, a result is most unlikely in this encounter unless the glorious uncertainty of cricket prevail. Dharmaraja College will be led for this match by fourth year player and the holder of Dagoba Channa Nadunge in the absence of regular captain Chamara Kapugedera who is on junior national duty abroad with the Sri Lanka under 19 cricket team. Channa Nadunge will open the sides batting and has scored over 300 runs including a top score of 74 against Sri Sumangala College, Panadura in their last match. He is also an off-spinner but he has been used very little this season. Rajans are certainly going to miss the services of their regular skipper Chamara Kapugedera who scored 1,000 runs last season including 2 centuries. This year upto his departure he had totalled 650 runs at a very healthy average of 49.53. This season too he made two centuries. He also opened the side's attack and captured 25 wickets at an average of 23.18 per wicket. Rajans have played 13 matches and won one match - an epic victory over Royal College in Colombo last week. This stands out as one of their best ever performances in their history. But they lost to Trinity outright and the rest of the matches were drawn. Chathura Bandara has been the most successful batsman scoring over 700 runs including a century at an average of nearly 50 per innings. He is better known for his big hitting as he has scored over 35 sixes this season, a good entertainer by any standards. Rukshan Sooriyarachchi is another good bat scoring over 360 runs. Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi - a technically correct batsman who went through a bad patch struck form in the last match scoring 116 retired against Sri Sumangala. Apart from the above batsmen others who could swell the Rajans total are Upesh Wijesiri (400 runs), Anushka Ranaraja (325 runs), Chathura Monerawila, Bhuwanika Ekanayake and Chandimal Ratnayake. In the absence of regular skipper the new ball will be shared by Chathura Bandara and Chathura Monerawila with Anushka Ranaraja, coming in as the third pacie. Off-spinner Rukshan Sooriyarachchi and left-arm spinner Tharindu Perera with over 30 wickets each will be their main spinners and on whom will rest the task of restricting the Kingswood batting. Other spinners in the side are Dhanushka Mitipolarachchi (off-spin), and Geeshan Munaweera (off-spin). Bhuvanika Ekanayake will keep wickets. Kingwood College will be led by third year coloursman Gihan Ekanayake, a deadly medium pacer who has captured nearly 50 wickets this season and he will be entrusted with the task of opening the team's attack. He is also a consistent performer with the bat having scored over 350 runs though not coming up with any big scores. Kingswoodians have played 14 matches this season and have not won any nor have they lost any. Details of their performances have not been made available at the time of going to press even though an assurance was given that they will be provided. Fourth year coloursman Duminda Dahanayake, a top order bat with 400 runs including a century is the vice-captain of the side. Left-arm spinner Niroshan Perera who started as a bowler has struck it rich with the bat and has exceeded the 400 run mark including a century. But the most successful and attractive bat in the side is Indika Senaratne, a very hard hitting batsman with a penchant for quick runs and he has scored over 700 runs this season. Last year too he scored 750 runs. Other capable batsmen in the side are wicket keeper Minimuthu Dissanayake, Asiri Amarasinghe, Kasun Amarasinghe, Chathuranga Samarakoon, opener Nirmal Jayasuriya, Rampath Jayawansa, Kanchana Dilshad and Mahesh Dhammika thus underlying the fact that there is plenty of depth in their batting. Skipper Gihan Ekanayake will spearhead the new ball attack with Chathuranga Samarakoon with Mahesh Dhammika coming at first change. Hiroshan Perera (left arm spin) will be their key spinner with support from off spinner C. P. Rajapakse, leg spinner Asiri Amarasinghe, off spinner Kasun Amarasinghe, off spinner Daminda Dahanayake and off spinner Rampath Jayawansa. Dharmaraja College is coached by former national poolist and Kandy CC cricketer old Rajan Priyantha Waregoda with Major Buwaneka B Rohana as the Cricket Co-ordiantor, prefect of games is Sarath Matharaarachchi. Kingswood College is coached by former Kandy CC, St. Anthony's College cricketer Suresh Peiris. Ananda Weerasooriya is the prefect of games with H. M. C. S. Herath as Master-in-charge. Dharmaraja College (from): Channa Nadunge (Captain), Upesh Wijesiri, Dhanushka Mitipolaarachchi, Chathura Bandara, Rukshan Sooriyaarachchi, Chathura Monerawila, Bhuvanika Ekanayake, Samitha Rajapakse, Tharindu Perera, Anushka Ranaraja, Geeshan Munaweera, Tilina Battangama, Chandimal Ratnayake, Sameera Ranatunge, Anurudha Dedunupitiya, Harsha Udara, Ravindu Nawaratne, T. D. Balasooriya. Kingswood College (from): Gihan Ekanayake (Captain), Deminda Dahanayke (Vice Captain), Niroshan Perera, Minimuthu Dissanayake, Asiri Amarasinghe, Kasun Amarasinghe, Indika Senaratne, Chathuranga Samarakoon, Nirmal Jayasuriya, Kanchana Dilshad, Mahesh Dhammika, Ranpath Jayawansa, C. P. Rajapakse, Roshan Lokuge, Pradeep Wickremasinghe, Dhanushka Geeganage, Akila Herath, S. B. Basnayake, Suresh Fernando, J. P. Molligoda. |
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