Ramanayake misses ‘ton’ by four runs:

Stonewall batting helps Royal to force a draw

By Ranjan Anandappa

Stonewall batting by Hashen Ramanayake (96) who was extremely unfortunate to miss a memorable century and Randev Pathirana (23) dispelled any doubt of Royal losing the 135th ‘Battle Of The Blues’ encounter against S. Thomas’ as the match ended in a draw with Royal retaining the D.S. Senanayake memorial shield for another year at the SSC grounds yesterday.

The Thomians dominated the match until lunch on the final day until Hashen Ramanayake batting at number four found an ideal partner Randev Pathirana to perform the rescue act. At lunch Royal were 106 for 3 trailing by 61 runs. But Ramanayake and Pathirana batting with assurance saw the entire post lunch session through without being separated adding 88 runs for the fourth wicket before Pathirana was run out going for a second run with Ramanayake approaching his century.

Royal began the final day needing a further 131 runs to make the Thomians bat for the second time.

Continuing from their overnight score of 36 for 1, Royal’s second wicket pair Shashindra Dias and Hashen Ramanayake began their uphill task with a overcast sky.

The two batsmen batted cautiously. Aktab Cader and Chenuka Wickremasinghe bowled well exploiting the ground conditions. Left armer Aktab Cader looked the bowler who could spell danger and provided the early breakthrough for the Thomians with his occasionally lifting and moving

deliveries. But it was Chenuka Wickremasinghe who took the early wicket in the morning dispatching Shashinda Dias who is capable of playing a long innings with his intractable defense. Dias hung his bat outside the off stump and wicket keeper sanesh de Mel took a regulation catch.

Hasitha Samarasinghe who retired hurt due to cramps walked into join Ramanayake who was batting sensibly to avoid further disaster.

The duo batted patiently to add 51 runs for the third wicket. Thomian captainMadushan Ravichandrakumar switched his bowlers from one end to the other in an effort for another breakthrough.

Left armer Aktab Cader, Wickermasinghe, Sahan Wijesinghe, the skipper Ravichandrakumar himself and Tharindu Ratnayake an ambidextrous bowler. It was a rare sight to see Tharindu Ratnayake bowling equally well with his left and right arms.

Finally it was Sachin Jayatileka, a spinner, bowling for the first time in the morning session eighteen minutes to the lunch adjournment answered his skippers call taking the wicket of Hasitha Samarasinghe in his first over when the ball hit the stumps via his pads for 31. He had faced 102 deliveries and struck four boundaries. At lunch Royal were 106 for 3 with Ramanayake 38 n.o and Randev Pathirana 3 n.o still with a 61-run deficit.

However, after lunch with the pitch easing and not assisting the bowlers the way it did in the morning session the bowlers had to play a waiting game for the batsmen to make a mistake. Ramanayake and Pathirana settle into their grove and defied a tiring Thomian attack. Pathirana and Ramanayake batted doggedly, Pathirana faced sixty eight deliveries for his nine runs and Ramanayake approaching his fifty (47) faced 195 deliveries with seven fours.

Ramanayake finally reached his fifty with a push past gully for four facing two hundred and two deliveries spending 255 minutes at the crease with eight boundaries with really laying the foundation for a Royal recovery. However, Royal were still trailing by 30 runs short to make the Thomians to bat again. When Ramanayake was out for 96 he had taken Royal from a seemingly hopeless position to a honourable draw. He had faced 328 deliveries and had 11 fours.

The Thomians who dominated till lunch on the third day saw the match drifting away from them with Ramanayake and Pathirana assuming command. Pathirana joined Ramanayake just beforre lunch and the pair batted the whole of the post lunch session adding 84 runs for the fourth wicket.

The usually aggressive pair shelved their attacking instincts and settled to a more sedate role.

SCOREBOARD

ROYAL COLLEGE - 1ST INNINGS 158 all out
(Harith Samarasinghe 50, Thiran Dhanapala 46, Aktab Cader 3 for 37, Sahan Wijesinghe 4 for 45)

S.THOMAS’ COLLEGE - 1ST INNINGS 325 for 8 decl.
(Sanesh de Mel 110 n.o, Chenutha Wickremasinghe 66, Chamika Karunaratne 4 for 91)

ROYAL COLLEGE -2 ND INNINGS (Overnight 36 for one contd)
Shaminda Dias c. de Mel b. Wickremasinghe	 	20
Geeshat Panditharatne c. Ratnayake b. Wijesinghe	00
Hasith Samarasinghe b. Jayatillake	 		31
Heshan Ramanayake c. Nanayakkara b. Cader		96
Randev Pathirana run out	 			23	
Chamika Karunaratne c. W’singhe b. Ratnayake		35
Thiran Dhanapala not out				28
EXTRAS: (18b, 3lb, 8nb)					35
TOTAL (for 6 wkts at close)			       268
BATTING TIME: 119.4 overs

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Panditharatne), 2-44 (Dias)
		 3-95 (Hasith Samarasighe), 4-183 (Pathirana)
		 5-234 (Karunaratne), 6-268 (Ramanayake)
Bowling: Cader 20.4-9-38-1 (2w)
	 Wijesinghe 16-6-33-1(1nb, 2w)
	 Ravichandrakumar 25-7-48-0
	 Nanayakkara 6-3-9-0 (1w)
	 Ratnayake 30-12-70-1 (1nb)
 	 Wickremasinghe5-1-21-1 (5nb, 1w)
	 Jayatillake16-10-24-1 (1nb)
	 Opatha1-0-4-0