Eranda’s match-saving 120 helps Bens

by Chris Dhambarage

CRICKET: Middle order batsman Eranda Ratnayake hit a match saving 120 to help St. Benedict’s College force a draw to their annual inter-school under-19 cricket tournament fixture against Royal College which concluded at Reid Avenue yesterday.

Ratnayake put on a stubborn 77 runs for the last wicket along with Yohan Zoysa (11) as the Benedictines occupied the crease during the entire second day to score an impressive 333 in their second innings while following on.

Earlier Varuna Fernando and Jason Perera both completed fluent half centuries and also added 100 runs for the fourth wicket to.

Royal: 260 for 9 decl.

St. Benedict’s: 66 and 333 (E. Ratnayake 120, V. Fernando 71, J. Perera 55, H. Yasanthika 20, G. Deva 5 for 65, I. Khan 2 for 97).

Dimuth’s fighting knock saves Isipatana

Skipper Dimuth Warapitiya hit a fighting knock of 83 to help Isipatana College force a draw to their inter-school under-19 cricket tournament match against St. Joseph’s College which concluded at Darley Road yesterday.

Isipatana: 189 and 220 (D. Warapitiya 83, S. Anjana 43, M. Madushanka 2 for 18, S. Jayatilleke 4 for 35).

St. Joseph’s: 202 for 9 decl (V. Jayasinghe 53, K. Bernards 20, A. Fernando 50, R. Thatil 30, R. Sulochana 5 for 52, S. Vimukthi 3 for 48).

Ananda - D.S : High scoring draw

Leg-spinner Sachithra Perera returned magnificent figures of seven wickets for 35 as Ananda College took major honours in their inter-school under-19 cricket tournament match against D.S. Senanayake College which ended in a high scoring draw at Ananda Mawatha yesterday.

Ananda: 318 and 132 for 6 (D. Madushan 32, A. Rantillake 30, P. Madushan 27, R. Sharmein 19 n.o, I. Mohamed 3 for 48, H. Perera 2 for 20).

D.S. Senanayake: 274 (A. Weerasinghe 59, S. Ceyril 62, L. Abeyratne 48, H. Perera 36, S. Perera 7 for 35, G. Wimaladharma 2 for 32).

Pradeep’s 6 for 83 helps Zahira

Left-arm spinner Pradeep Ananda captured six wickets for 83 to help Zahira College dismiss Sri Jayawardenapura MV for 237 runs in their first innings on the opening day of their inter-school under-19 cricket tournament match which began at Maradana yesterday.

Sri Jayawardenapura MV: 237 (K. Boteju 65, N. Illukwatte 50, I. Kariyawasam 32, I. Silva 20, P. Madushanka 21, P. Ananda 6 for 83, M. Wasim 2 for 27, I. Umar 2 for 63).

Zahira: 64 for 1 (S. Jainuddeen 35 n.o.).

SEBS wrap up on day two

Dilwin Mendis, Moratuwa Sports Corp.

St. Sebastians College, Moratuwa beat St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala by an innings and 262 runs and were home for lunch in their inter-school under 19 cricket match worked off at Moratuwa.

Visitors continuing with their overnight score of 35 for 5 in their second essay on Day Two, took only thirty minutes to wrap up the game. Amila Aponso was the chief wrecker for Sebs with a hostile spell of bowling with 6 for 25 and a match bag of 9 for 27 runs.

St. Sebastian’s: 354/7 dec.

St. Anne’s: 29 and 35 for 5 overnight - 63 (Janith Perera 17 not out, Mohomed Apsap 19, Amila Aponso 6/25, Vishva Fernando 2/17).

Antonians on run-getting feast

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

St. Anthony’s College, Kandy, batsmen were on a run getting feast when they made a huge 360 for 3 declared on the first day of their inter school cricket match against Kalutara Vidyalaya which began at the Kalutara Esplanade yesterday. At close the home had replied with 58 for 3. The match will be continued today at 9.30 a.m.

The Antonians winning the toss and taking first strike were off to a good start with the openers Skipper Hiran Wickremasekera 62 (6 fours) and Yohan Woods 58 (6 fours) putting on 124 before being separated.

But the best stand of the innings came when 16-year-old Manoj Sarathchandra 109 not out (6 fours, 5 sixes) and Pulasthi de Silva 100 (10 fours, 4 sixes) put on a massive 210 for the third wicket.

Both batsmen scored their maiden centuries in school cricket and displayed good temperament and did not hesitate to punish anything pitched short.

At close Kalutara Vidyalaya won struggling at 58 for 3 and will have to make a further 202 to avoid the follow-on.

St. Anthony’s College: 360 for 3 declared in 67 overs (Hiran Wickremasekera 62, Yohan Woods 58, Pulasthi de Silva 100, Manoj Sarathchandra 109 not out, Kanishka Ranaraja 14 not out).

Kalutara Vidyalaya: 58 for 3 in 30 overs (Isuru Buddhika 24 not out, Arvinda Premaratne 2 for 10).