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by Ranjan Anandappa

The Josephians will hope and possibly pray that skipper Angelo Mathew will play so that they will be able to match the Peterites in the 72nd 'Battle' of the Saints cricket encounter to be played on March 3 and 4 at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.

Dialog GSM will sponsor the event for the fourth year in succession.

The two teams were depleted in the school cricket season with some of their key players including the two captains Angelo Mathew (St. Joseph's) and Hans Fernando (St. Peter's) on national duty with the Sri Lanka under 19 cricket team at the recently concluded World Cup.

Mathew broke down half way with a leg injury in the quarterfinal stages of the under 19 WC and is recovering fast to be fit for the big battle. But there is a big question mark over his fitness. Will Mathew be fully fit for the big encounter?

The Joes had the most number of players in the under 19 side that included, skipper Mathew, Rajiva Weerasinghe, Thisara Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Roshane Perera. Only at this big encounter the team is playing at full strength. According to coach Harsha de Silva the team is a well balanced one.

The one doubt is about the fitness of Joes skipper Angelo Mathew, and if he is unable to take the field, it will give the Peterites a huge psychological advantage. Mathew is undoubtedly a genuine all-rounder and plays the pivotal role in the side as captain, opening bowler and bats in the top order.

The Joes have played 14 matches without a single win, they lost to St. Sebastians. The Peterites too, missed two of their players, skipper Hans Fernando and Prabudha Perera.

For the Peterites, they will have the services of Umar Samsudeen who was sidelined by a leg injury. His inclusion into the Peterite side will no doubt add more tonic to the bowling attack. Samsudeen was the wrecker last year who broke the backbone of the strong Josephian batting when the Joes were sent into bat on a surface which was covered owing to the previous evening rain, in the morning of the match the pitch assisted the medium pace bowlers, and Samsudeen ran through the top order to take five wickets.

For the Peterites, batting is their forte and they have two match winning bowlers who could give them an advantage - Leg spinner Lakshan Rodrigo who has taken over 100 wickets for the season and Umar Samsudeen are the two bowlers could spell danger to the Joes.

The strong Peterite batting revolves around skipper Hans Fernando, Lahiru Peiris (over 973 runs with three hundreds and seven fifties), Dilan Udugamasuriya (Over 746 runs, seven fities). He is also a medium pacer who has taken 35 wickets. Krishan Magage (644 runs with a hundred and four 50s), and Dasun Randika (559 runs with five half centuries).

The Peterites have played 16 matches and have won 5 games. They beat Royal, St. Benedict's, Sri Rahula Matara, Holy Cross Kalutara, Sri Sumangala Hikkaduwa.

The Josephians will bank heavily on their skipper Mathew who is developing to be a fine all-round cricketer.

With the inclusion of the other members who represented the under 19 team, namely opener Dimuth Karunaratne, off-spinner Rajiva Weerasinghe, medium pacer Thisara Perera, Roshane Perera the Joes should find the right composition for their all important 72nd big encounter.

In the 71 matches played up to date, the Josephians have won 11 to the Peterites 7 with 53 matches ending in 'no decisions.'

St. Joseph's last won under Rohan Fernando in 1972. Roy Dias captained the Peterites that year. The Peterites last won under Suraj Abeysekera in 1978. Shamilal de S. Wijeratne led the Joes in that match.

The highest individual score in the series is by former Peterite and then Ceylon and Liecestershire professional Clive Inman 204 not out in 1954. For the Joes Fred Perera remained the highest individual scorer 114 not out in 1934. Josephian Shenal Warnakula has the best bowling analysis in the series (9 for 41) in 1997. Dion Walles (9 for 53 in 1947), Cyril Dias (9 for 64 in 1933), and Dinesh Kekulthota (8 for 16 in 1990) also had impressive bowling figures for the Peterites.

Besides Warnakula's best effort in the series, left armer Rajive Benedict (8 for 6 in 1972) who was instrumental in the Joes last win, Ranjith Malawana had taken 8 for 57 in 1957.

Rohan Buultjens of St. Peter's was the only player of either side to score twin unbeaten hundreds (109 not out and 100 not out in the 1972 encounter).

Josephian Dilshan Perumal is the only Josephian to get close to Buultjen's feat with 104 and 68 in the 2001 Joe-Pete encounter.

To make the match result oriented, the first innings of both sides have been restricted to 60 overs, with no restrictions on the bowlers or fielders.

The Peterite coach former Test leg spinner Roger Wijesuriya said that the concept of 60 overs per side in the first innings is a good suggestion,but it is important to play positively in the second innings too, to make the match interesting.

The match is played for the Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Legoc Trophy (Fourth and the last French rector of St. Joseph's and Founder of St. Peter's College).

Teams

St. Peter's (from): Hans Fernando (captain), Lahiru Pieris, Prabudha Perera, Dilan Udugamasuriya, Anuk Silva, Krishan Magage, Dasun Randika, Umar Samsudeen, Angelo Perera, Shiranga Ranasuriya, Lakshan Rodrigo, Mevan Samarasekera, Chanaka Fernando, Ruwan Wickremassinghe. St. Joseph's (from): Angelo Mathew (captain), Rajeeva Weerasinghe, Dimuth Karunaratne, Roshane Perera, Anton de Livera, Prabudha Sankalpa, Hashan Gunatileka, Ruwantha Fernandopulle, Thisara Perera, Revanka de S.Wijeratne, Shakthi Kankanithanthri, Hareen Silva, Shameera Weerasinghe, Nirmal Rajapakse, Ashan Perera.

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