Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

by Srian Obeyesekere

S. Thomas' came back to take some of the glint from Royal's gold with an emphatic 37-run win in the 31st 'Battle of the Blues' 50-over encounter yesterday at the SSC grounds.

The Thomians batting first made 217 in 50 overs atoning for last week's 7-wicket humiliation in the three-day match melting Royal's pot of gold of a clean sweep.

In a somewhat off colour display Royal could not add to that sheet crumbling for 180 in a somewhat reversal of form against a Thomian outfit modelled on bowling and fielding spiced together culminating in three run outs.

In a rather anti-climax of the thunder and noise associated in the 'Battle of the Blues' in a match attended by a very sparse crowd of around 2,000, the Thomian batting machinery roared reaching 158 for 3 wickets in the 33rd over. Their hero was top scorer skipper Naveen Perera who led from the front with 66 off 116 balls. Perera, who struck 6 boundaries, held the batting together having put on 60 for the first wicket with Sashreeka Pussegolla who made 32.

The Thomians suffered a middle order setback with off spinner Dilan Nanayakkara claiming 4 wickets in the space of 12 overs to reduce the opposition to 196 for 7 by the 45th over, but were helped on by 21 sundries, 10 of which were wides.

Royal started disastrously reduced to 2 for 12, 3 for 42 and 4 for 96 by the 22nd over. Royal lost opener Sukitha Senaratne caught by Ashan Fernando off Ashan Peiris for 3 and Dilan Nanayakkara run out to a throw from Colombage in the covers for a duck.

Whatever chances Royal had evaporated when the fourth wicket alliance of Kusal Perera and Dimitri Siriwardena which looked threatening was broken. They put on 54 before Perera, who had lived dangerously surviving a stumping and two run outs, was caught and bowled by Shivnath Gnanaskandan for a 56-ball 42 inclusive of 5 boundaries with the total on 96. When Siriwardena, who had started with a 6 ran himself out from a Ashan Peiris throw for 24, Royal's hopes were good as over at 101 for 6 in 24.4 overs.

The rearguard action of vice captain Dulanjaya Wijeratne (33) and skipper Nadun Punchihewa (18 n.o.) could not pull Royal out of the woods falling in the 47th over.

S. THOMAS
Naveen Perera b Nanayakkara		66
S. Pussegolla c Perera b Abeykoon	32
Ashan Peiris c Perera b Ahamed		22
Nizam Mazahir c Abeykoon b Na’yakkara	27
D. Colombage st. Perera b Wijeratne	21
Ashan Fernando b Nanayakkara		 3
S. Gnanaskandan c Ahamed b Na’yakkara	 3
Jehan Tahir run out			 8
Rayendra Karunaratne			 5
Ruchira de Silva not out		 4
Devinda Fernando not out		 9
Extras (LB 1, B 8, NB 2, W 10)		21
TOTAL all out (50 overs)		217
FALL OF WICKETS: 60, 106, 158, 172,
 179, 185, 196, 203, 203.
BOWLING: Charith Fernando 5-0-39-0, Feroze Ahamed 8-0-36-1, 
Yasitha Abeykoon 7-0-25-1, Nadun Punchihewa 10-0-40-1, 
Dilan Nanayakkara 10-0-42-4, Dulanjaya Wijeratne 10-0-29-1.

ROYAL
Malinga Maligaspe lbw Mazahir		19
S. Senaratne c. Fernando b Peiris	 3
Dilan Nanayakkara run out		 0
Kusal Perera c & b Gnanaskandan		42
Dimitri Siriwardena run out		24
B. Rajapakse c Gnanaskandan b K’ratne	 1
Dulanjaya Wijeratne c & b Colombage	33
Feroze Ahamed run out			13
Nadun Punchihewa not out		18
C. Fernando st. D. F’do b Colombage	 2
Y. Abeykoon c D. F’do b Gn’askandan	 8
Extras (LB 3, NB 2, W 12)		17
TOTAL all out (46.4 overs )		180
FALL OF WICKETS: 6, 12, 42, 96, 97, 101, 136, 151, 158.
BOWLING: Ashan Peiris 6-0-24-1, Ruchira de Silva 4-0-19-0, 
Nizam Mazahir 3-0-18-1, Dhanushka Colombage 8-1-28-2, 
Shivnath Gnanaskandan 8.4-1-35-2, 
Rayendra Karunaratne 10-2-22-1, 
Jehan Tahir 7-0-29-0.

| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.