Time saves Mahanama from certain defeat

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

Time saved Mahanama College, Colombo from outright defeat in the hands of St. Anthony's College, Kandy in their Inter-School Cricket Match which ended in a draw at Katugastota yesterday.

The Antonians were set a victory target of 160 in 12 overs and they made a valiant attempt in making 44 for 1 in 5 overs before bad light stopped play early.The Antonians declared their innings closed 46 runs behind their opponents total which threw the match open. Mahanama College in their second essay were skittled out for 113. They were 100 for 5 at one stage before the spin combination of leg-spinner Buwaneka Wijetunga 5 for 35 and skipper and off spinner Sachin Bulathsinhala 4 for 35 demolished them.

Leg-spinner Buwaneka Wijetunga who captured 5 for 38 in the first innings had the fine match figures of 10 for 73.For the Antonians Kavindu Pullikuttiarachchi scored the only half century of the match in making 62 with 9 fours in 95 balls.Mahanama College: 193 all out and 113 all out in 50.4 overs (Kavindu Lakshan 26, Navin Silva 20, Pawan Devinda 20, S. Kaushalyage 14, Buwaneka Wijetunga 5 for 35, Sachin Bulathsinhala 4 for 35).

St. Anthony's College: 147 for 8 decl. in 39.1 overs (Viraj Deepal 44, Kavindu Pullukuttiarachchi 62, L.H. Ebert 16, Dilanjan Senaratne 5 for 45, S. Kaushalya 2 for 34) and 44 for 1 in 5 overs (Kavindu Pullikuttiarachchi 23 not out).