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Better batting and fielding gives Thomians edge over Royal

by Srian Obeyesekere

It is in an era when cricket has grown in an ever multiplying magnitude, the length and breadth of the globe that this island nation's school cricket extravaganza - the 127th Royal-Thomian gets on stage. The world's second oldest 'big match' - after Australia's St. Peter's College versus Prince Alfred College from South Australia, Adelaide dating back to 1878, the 'Battle of the Blues' would, believe me, surpass the most titanic of cricket's known contests. So much so that on its day the significance of the Royal-Thomian, to put it in the words of former Thomian and well known international cricket commentator, Ranil Abeynaike, who is the coach of S. Thomas', 'is even bigger' than the famous ashes series between Australia and England.

Come March 9, 10 and 11 Colombo is gripped by the 'big match' fever the Royal-Thomian kindles. A tradition since 1879 that has festered down the ages between bat and ball from the two colleges. Royal situated in the groovy confines of Colombo-7, and S. Thomas' by the salubrious seaside in the immediate suburbs of the city metropolis - Mt. Lavinia. The carnival atmosphere, the beers that light up the spirit to the accompaniment of crackers and 'baila' sing-songs over three days of sheer splendour that would surely have even Tony Greig, that former England trojan turned international cricket commentator, who is so fascinated by Sri Lankan cricket, still marvel.

Seeped in such a background that the two camps battle it out to have another feather in their cap. Of course, S. Thomas' are a salvo up from their innings and 28-run drubbing of Royal inside of the first session of the third day last year. It gave the Thomians 34 wins as against Royal's 32 with 60 drawn as the Thomians claim in the series interspersed by a tinge of controversy. For the Royalists dispute a now famous or infamous 9-run win claimed by the Thomians. In their book the Royalists have 32 wins in their favour to the Thomians 34 with 61 drawn. A disputed drama where S. Thomas' say Royal conceded victory by going off the field. Royal of course, blame the rain.

Be it as it be, this time around either side is not willing to write off the other. To put it blandly, both camps respect each other theming on the same adage. That the side that plays the better cricket on their day would come trumps up. S. Thomas' for one, insist they are not going to bask in last year's laurels. Their coach Abeynaike insists 'last year is history.' It would be altogether another contest. Interestingly, Royal coach Chulaka Amarasinghe has breathed much air into the pre-match hype saying that this year they have the ammunition to go the distance.

"We are happy to be the underdogs. But we are confident of performing well," said Amarasinghe falling short of saying his charges would beat S. Thomas.' But pressed for stronger optimism in the wake of last year's disaster he adds,"Definitely the bottom line is to win. But it will be nothing new to us. It will be the same cricket we've played this season. In the 'big match' someone with character will come through," echoed Amarasinghe who insisted that it is a totally different Royal side this year to last year. "You can't compare last years's results with this year's."

Comparatively, there is not much to choose between the two sides. If S. Thomas' batting is slightly on a higher platform than Royal, Royal, on paper, have a edge in the bowling with a slightly better attack which Thomian coach Abeynaike concedes. But then he is quick to remind that 'batting is Thomians strong point and all importantly the fielding is tops.' Royal have two wins, two losses and twelve drawn from 16 outings while S. Thomas' have one win and drawn seventeen.

The Royalists are quietly confident. Coach Amarasinghe, a former Royal winning captain of 1983, who took over the job from Nalliah Devarajan this year, sounded out his charges are seasoned campaigners who had gone through their script.

"We will play aggressive cricket how it should be played. We are not a one innings team. We are a two innings team who have gone through the rigours of bowling out teams in both innings in getting my boys to shed that 'one innings image' which has been a bane of our school cricket," reasoned the Royal coach who takes pride in the belief that his formula has been one on course unlike most 'one innings teams' who don't know how to play two innings cricket because they have got used to the 95-over concept of claiming first innings victory inherited from the infamous Lemonade Trophy now scrapped. It is so unfair to claim first innings points when it is not there in two day-cricket, he reasons adding that,'it was simply not cricket.'

It is in contrary, the belief in his charges that they can bowl out a side twice that rings this strong optimism in the Royal coach that his team can deliver.

"Royal is a tried and tested side with six of last year's nine coloursmen in skipper Nadun Punchihewa, vice captain Dulanjaya Wijeratne, Sukitha Senaratne, Haroon Mowjood, Dimitri Siriwardena and Malinga Maligaspe," said Amarasinghe who thus summed up his team, "We've played cricket the way it should be played. It's a game of tactics and a mental game which I can say my boys have inculcated in themselves, bar a few areas still to get thorough like sharpening the fielding which needs that extra kiss."

But he was confident Royal would have done their home work, come the 'big match.' "I have themed on not just catching and catching and hitting a ball, but on learning on being focussed in given match situations."

Of the wicket-keeping he said that there was an option between Kusal Perera, who is the Sri Lanka u-15 'gloveman' and regular keeper Maligaspe who though had a tough job opening the batting and standing behind.

"We've bowled out all sides twice in our 16 matches although we had a solitary win against St. Anthony's, Katugastota, losing two to St. Sebastian's and St. Peter's with thirteen drawn. But the Peterite match was a close one where we gambled and made a sporty declaration and they got the runs.

If Royal led by third year coloursman Punchihewa - the allrounder, have fine tuned to match temperament, good enough to avenge last year's defeat, S. Thomas,' under the tutelage of the seasoned Abeynaike, a coach cum international curator under whom they have knitted together for several years, looks as solid as last year, although the side will be without four of their coloursmen of 2005 including their match winning captain leg spinner Subramaniam.

Royal's attack will revolve around right arm leg-spinner Haroon Mowjood who has collected over 40 wickets this season. The pace department will be in the hands of freshers Charith Fernando (right-arm), 15-year old Yasitha Abeykoon (left arm) drafted from the U-15 XI who is a Sri Lanka U-15 player, and Feroze Ahmed (right-arm seamer) drafted from the second XI and Sukitha Senaratne (right-arm medium-pace). Fernando will share the new ball with Abeykoon or Ahmed who has been tried out in the last three or four matches with some success. In spin, Mowjood will be supported by skipper Punchihewa (left-arm off-spin), Dulanjaya Wijeratne (right-arm) and Dilan Nanayakkara (right-arm).

Their batting will centre around the experienced left-hander Sukitha Senaratne who made 92 in the last big 'un and has two centuries to his credit this season. He will open the batting with Malinga Maligaspe who has been the most consistent run getter with over 700 runs. It will find muscle in 15-year old left-hander Kusal Perera, who has 'leap frogged' from the U-15 XI for his form , and right-hander Dilan Nanayakkara who have a century apiece, skipper Punchihewa at no. 6 or 7 depending on the right left combination, Wijeratne and Dimitri Siriwardena. The latter has not been among the runs, but his coach expects something big from Siriwardena, who will bat one drop, come the big occasion.

S. Thomas' challenge will mainly hinge on their five centurians. They are the mainstays with Sashreeka Pussegolla having three centuries and going past 1,000 runs, according to coach Abeynaike. Young batting sensation Nizam Mazahir, who has over 450 runs this season, last year's 'big match' centurian Ashan Peiris, left-handed skipper Navin Perera (over 650 runs), Dhanushka Colombage at no.5, Gayendra Karunaratne at 6 followed by Shivan Gnanaskandan. Pussagolla made 126,111 and 127 against Zahira, Richmond and Wesley respectively.

The Thomian coach considers Peiris as the 'Mr. Reliable' with the bat. But he sees young Mazahir as the most talented batsman around from among the schools.

The bowling, according to coach Abeynaike, although lacking the experience and depth of last year, will revolve around three mainstays. The pace department will be spearheaded by left arm medium pacie Kasun Bamunuarachchi and Ashan Peiris with Ruchira de Silva, who is the quickest of the lot, as first change and medium pacie Mazahir, the fourth bowler. It will be a three-pronged spin attack which will revolve around right-arm 'offie' Colombage, who has taken 43 wickets, right-arm 'leggie' Jehan Tahir, and Shivan Gnanaskandan. Coach Abeynaike rounded off on the high that the fielding had been an area emphasised on during the last 2 years.

What was looked to was for the fielding as one strong point to supplement the bowling backed by the strong Thomian batting fold.

Teams

Royal: Nadun Punchihewa (Capt.), Dulanjaya Wijeratne (V. Capt.), Dimitri Siriwardena, Malinga Maligaspe, Sukitha Senaratne, Haroon Mowjood, Charith Fernando, Yasitha Abeykoon, Feroze Ahmed, Kusal Perera, Dilan Nanayakkara. (12th man Anjula Rajapakse.)

S. Thomas': Naveen Perera (Capt.), Ashan Peiris (Vice Capt.), Nizam Mazahir, Kasun Bamunuarachchi, Dhanushka Colombage, Devinda Fernando, Jehan Tahir, Ruchira de Silva, Shivan Gnanaskandan, Gayendra Karunaratne and Sashreeka Pussagolla.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.