Trinity fancied to beat St. Anthony’s

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

Trinity College, Kandy Picture by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Cor.

St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota Picture by Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy Sports Cor.

CRICKET: If the current seasons performance is the criteria then Trinity College should go out favourites to win when they take on a much improved St. Anthony’s College in their hill capital’s 94th ‘Battle of the Blues” which will be played at the Trinity Asgiriya Stadium in Kandy next Friday and Saturday (March 12th and 13th ) with play commencing at 9.45 a.m. each day.

This clash is the second big match in the Central Province and has been played annually since 1905 except in the years 1916, 1956, 1957 and 2000. The series tally at present stands at 22 wins by Trinity College and 12 by St. Anthony’s College while 59 matches have ended in draws. In fact the last 16 matches have ended in draws. The last time a decision was reached in this match was in 1992 when Umesh de Alwis led the Antonians to victory.

The last time the Trinitians won was way back in 1986 under Thushara Weerasuriya who later became the OBSERVER MOST POPULAR SCHOOLBOY CRICKETER OF THE YEAR. Thus the ‘Lions’ have a 23-year-old ‘hoodoo’ to break. In fact between 1952 and 2009, the ‘lions’ have won just one match in 57 years. Their 1951 victory came under Eustace Rulach who later became Sports Editor of the OBSERVER and Features Editor before migrating to Australia.

The Trinitians lead the series tally mainly due to their performance between 1918 and 1933 when they won 14 matches against one by the Antonians. They also won 11 matches in a row from 1918 to 1926 with Lionsman Percy Maralande leading to three wins from 1920 to 1922. All these may be records in big matches in Sri Lanka.

The highest individual score in the series stands to the credit of Antonians opening bat A. C. M. Lafir who scored 176 and put on 276 for the first wicket with Ronnie Stevens who made 106 in their Centenary year in 1954.

This match started at 1.30 p.m. on the first day and by close the Antonians batting aggressively had made 399 for 6 and Lafir the skipper applied the closure overnight to win the match by an innings by tea time on the second day. Both teams played positive cricket.

The best bowling effort is by spinner Sudanga Fernando who captured all ten wickets for Trinity College in Antonians second innings. Then there is a sort of a world record by Trinity’s mystery spinner C. Dharmalingam who in the big match of 1939 performed the hat-trick in both innings by capturing 6 for 17 and 6 for 39 to bowl his side to victory. He also captured 9 for 74 in 1938 which stood as record for fifty years till Sudanga broke it in 1998.

Sajid leads TCK

Trinity College will be led by fourth year coloursman Mohammed Sajid, despite not striking it rich with the bat, Sajid has led his side to seven outright victories this season.

Their victories have been over Sri Rahula College, Revatha Vidyalaya, Richmond College, Holy Cross College, St. Anne’s College, and their pride of the season wins over Royal College and S. Thomas’ College to boost up their morale on eve of the big match.

Their only loss this season has been at the hands of St. Josephs’ College. Nine of their matches have ended in draws.

Trinity’s run getter is opening bat cum wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella who has scored 859 runs with a top score of 158 not out. He has 40 ‘victims’ to his credit. Kavinda Jayasuriya has scored 550 runs and last year’s big match hero. Shameera Wijesuriya has so far scored only 300 runs. Others who should bolster the ‘Lions’ total are Suresh Wickrema. (450 runs), Heshan Wanniarachchi (550 runs), Vice-captain Kithmal Wimalaweera (350 runs), last year’s skipper Rushan Jaleel (300 runs). Kheliya Athugoda (300 runs), Rajitha Jayatunga (350 runs).

As it is, the Trinitians will not depend much on their pacies though they have three in Chinthaka Gokula (25 wkts), Gehan Bopitiya and Tissa Sanjeewa Bandara. They are likely to open with Chinthaka Gokula and from the other end it will be off-spinner Jaleel who has taken 30 wickets in the four matches he has played this season as his involvement with the Sri Lanka under 19 team kept his away from school matches.

Their main spinner will be off-spinner Suresh Wickrema who has captured 76 wickets so far. Left-arm spinner Asmil Anas with 38 wickets has bowled well in the few matches he has played this year. For extra spin, there is off spinner Kavinda Jayasuriya (26 wickets), the injured leg-spinner Akila Jayasundera (30 wickets) off spinner Heshan Wanniarachchi (20 wickets) off spinner Shameera Wijesuriya, and leg spinner Rajitha Jayatunga.

Hiran 1,015 runs

St. Anthony’s College will be led by fifth year player Dulash Kumarasinghe who has scored 400 runs this season. Vice Captain Hiran Wickremasekera has been their main run getter scoring 1,015 runs including two centuries and 8 fifties. Last year too he got 1,000 runs during the season.

But their main performer is allrounder Adil Royal who has scored 490 runs and taken 79 wickets with his left arm spinners. The Antonians will depend heavily on him to tame the lions.

The performance of other batsman has been far below expectations and this has reflected in the overall performance of the team. The others should prop up the innings are Manoj Sarathchandra (400 runs), Tharaka Jayasinghe (280 runs), Kanishka Ranaraja (300 runs). Erande Seneviratne (200 runs), Aravinda Premaratne, Yohan Woods and Pulasthi de Silva. Manoj Sarathchandra with 30 victims is the stumper of the side.

Tharaka Jayasinghe will spearhead the speed attack with Kanishka Ranaraja with Sumudu Liyanage for extra pace. Left-arm spinner Adil Reyal with 79 wickets will hold the trumps for the Antonians.

The other spinners are off spinner Erande Seneviratne (25 wkts), left-arm spinner Milinda Ranasinghe, off-spinner Aravinda Premaratne, off spinner Thushan Hettige and leg spinners Supun Ranaraja but they have been not impressive this season.

Thus is going to be Trinity’s 7 wins and 1 loss against Antonians 1 win and two losses. The Antonians have played 12 matches. Winning 1. (Vidyartha College), 2 lost (St. Sebastians and St. Peter’s) and drawn 9 matches.

Trinity College: (from) Mohamed Sajid (Captain), Kithmal Wimalaweera (vice captain), Akila Jayasundera, Rushan Jaleel, Suresh Wickrema, Shameera Wijesuriya, Aamil Anas, Rajitha Jayatunga, Kavinda Jayasuriya, Heshan Wanniarachchi, Niroshan Dickwella, Chintaka Gokula, Kheliya Athugoda. Gihan Bopitiya. Tissa Sanjeewa, Janith Premasinghe, Dinuk Weeraratne, Dinuk Wickremanayake, Thushara Gunatissa. (Coach Sampath Perera, MIC Vinod Wishnuwarthan).

St. Anthony’s College: (From) Dulash Kumarasinghe (captain), Hiran Wickremasekera (Vice Captain), Adil Reyal, Manoj Sarathchandra, Yohan Woods, Tharaka Jayasinghe, Erande Seneviratne, Thushan Hettiage, Milinda Ranasinghe, Aravinda Premaratne, Aruna Bandara, Pulasthi de Silva, Kanishka Ranaraja, Supun Ranaraja, Dimantha Ekanayake, Sumudu Liyanage. (Coach Champika Siriwardena. MIC Keethi Aluwihare).