Joes end 35-year wait with innings win
by Chris Dhambarage
CRICKET: St. Joseph?s College brought an end to a 35 year long
wait when they trounced their traditional rivals St. Peter's College by
an innings and 42 runs in the 74th annual Battle of the Saints inter
school cricket encounter concluded at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium
yesterday.
The Peterites who were trailing by 118 runs on the first innings were
shot out for just 76 runs in their second attempt shortly before lunch.
This was also the seventh lowest total for St. Peter?s College in the
Big Match series and the 12th occasion that they have failed to cross
the one hundred run mark.
The previous victory for St. Joseph's College was recorded way back
in 1972 when they defeated St. Peter's College by an innings and 87 runs
under the captaincy of Rohan Fernando at the same venue.
St. Peter's College who were bundled out for 137 runs in their first
innings failed to make an impact in the second innings too which lasted
only 34 overs. They lost opener Andry Berenger in the second over of the
day and from there onwards they never recovered and suffered one of the
biggest defeats in the Big Match series.
The Peterite top order batting line up once again looked pretty
ordinary as they failed to come on terms with the pace of Thisara Perera
and Chaturanga Kumara. In fact fifteen year old Kumara was the hero on
the second day as he ripped through the Peterite middle order with a
superb four wicket haul.
St. Peter's College always looked in danger of losing the game from
the moment they lost three early wickets for just 22 runs. There was a
partial recovery at this stage with the more experienced pair of skipper
Anuk Silva and Angelo Perera making a desperate attempt to repair the
early damage.
But they were fighting a losing battle because they had to occupy the
crease for more than two sessions if they were to perform the
impossibility and to force a draw. And once they had broken the stubborn
partnership the Peterite tail was exposed and lost their last five
wickets for a mere ten runs.
Sri Lanka youth cap Thisara Perera who picked up two more wickets
following his five wicket haul in the first innings was named best
bowler and man of the match. In fact this was the third successive
occasion that he has won the best bowlers award.
Another Sri Lanka youth player Roshane Silva won the best batsman's
award for his splendid knock of 66 which was incidentally his fourth
successive half century against St. Peter's College. Shameera
Weerasinghe was picked as the best all rounder and Dimuth Karunaratne as
the best fielder with the Josephians making a clean sweep in the special
awards.
ST. PETER’S - 1ST INNINGS 137 all out
ST. JOSEPH’S - 1ST INNINGS 255 all out
ST. PETER’S - 2ND INNINGS
Srimantha Wijeratne c T. Perera b C. Kumara 13
Andry Berenger lbw b T. Rajasuriya 0
Ruwan Wickremanayake c Jayasinghe (sub) b T. Perera 4
Anuk Silva c S. Wijesiri b Sankalpa 22
Angelo Perera c Weerasinghe b C.Kumara 21
Chatura Peiris c S. Wijesiri b C. Kumara 5
Akshu Fernando c Sankalpa b Weerasinghe 1
Suranga Rodrigo c S. Wijesiri b Weerasinghe 0
Chanaka Fernando c Wijesiri b T.Perera 3
Thiwanka Silva run lbw b C. Kumara 1
Vinod Perera not out 0
EXTRAS (B4, LB2) 6
TOTAL (ALL OUT): 76
FALL OF WICKTS: 1-0, 2-15, 3-22, 4-44,5-63, 6-66, 7-68, 8-68, 9-76
BOWLING: Thisara Perera 13-5-19-2, Treshan Rajasuriya 5-3-9-1,
Dimuth Karunaratne 2-0-4-0, Chaturanga Kumara 5-1-13-4, Prabudda Sankalpa 5-1-22-1,
Shameera Weerasinghe 4-2-3-2. |
