Royal College registered an emphatic 180-run win over S. Thomas’ College on day three of the 144th Battle of the Blues encounter played for the Rt. Hon. D.S Senanayake Memorial Shield, which concluded on Saturday at the SSC Grounds, Colombo.
S. Thomas’ were bowled out for 161 in their second innings, following up on another poor batting display, having been shot out for 153 in the first innings on day two.
The Royalists declared overnight, setting a mammoth target of 342 runs for the Thomians. The boys from Mount Lavinia never looked comfortable in their second essay, just like their first innings as they lost Thisen Eheliyagoda, who was trapped LBW in the very first over on day three, to the bowling of seamer Ranuka Malaviarachchi.
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- REPLAY – Royal College vs S. Thomas’ College – 144th Battle of the Blues
Bulan Weerathunga trapped the Thomian skipper Romesh Mendis right in front for 12, while opening batter Dineth Gunawardena was sent back to the pavilion courtesy a brilliant flying catch by Uvindu Weerasekara off Sandesh Ramanayake’s bowling.
As the spinners were introduced, the Thomian batting line-up fell like dominos, slumping to 6 for 76 before the lunch break. Off-spinner Nethwin Dharmaratne picked up two wickets, having had no chance to bowl in the first innings. Skipper Manchanayake got the crucial wicket of Mahith Perera.
After lunch, wicket-keeper batter Senesh Hettiarachchi and off-spinning all-rounder Charuka Peiris put up a resilient 7th wicket stand worth 66 runs off 153 balls to delay the inevitable.
Just before the tea break, leg-spinner Ramiru Perera broke the stand, castling Peiris for 22 with a flighted delivery, which the right-hander missed completely. Akash Fernando fell in the very next ball as S. Thomas’ were 8 down for 142.
In the third and final session, Royal did not waste much time to wrap things up as vice-captain Sineth Jayawardena took the last two wickets. Player of the Match, the Royal Captain – Dasis Manchanayake held onto the final catch, dropped onto his knees, and celebrated the win with tears in his eyes.
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Royal regained the shield which they lost to S. Thomas’ in 2019. Thomians will be disappointed with their performance, probably their worst in the 2022/23 season.
Individual Awards
- Best Fielder – Uvindu Weerasekara (RC)
- Best Bowler – Akash Fernando (STC)
- Best Batter – Ramiru Perera (RC)
- Player of the Match – Dasis Manchanayake (RC)
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rehan Peris | c Senesh Hettiarachchi b Akash Fernando | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Sineth Jayawardena | b Nathan Caldera | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Ovina Ambanpola | b Akash Fernando | 30 | 71 | 1 | 0 | 42.25 |
| Uvindu Weerasekara | c Nathan Caldera b Kavindu Dias | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 23.08 |
| Dasis Manchanayake | b Kavindu Dais | 137 | 150 | 17 | 0 | 91.33 |
| Ramiru Perera | c Romesh Mendis b Kavindu Dais | 128 | 186 | 15 | 2 | 68.82 |
| Sandesh Ramanayaka | lbw b Akash Fernando | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Sanvidu Senartharachchi | not out | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Bulan Weerathunga | b Akash Fernando | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Nethwin Dharmarathne | not out | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 13 (b 8 , lb 0 , nb 3, w 2, pen 0) |
| Total | 326/8 (74 Overs, RR: 4.41) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akash Fernando | 13 | 1 | 55 | 4 | 4.23 | |
| Nathan Caldera | 16 | 2 | 64 | 1 | 4.00 | |
| Kavindu Dias | 13 | 2 | 58 | 3 | 4.46 | |
| Dinura Gunawardena | 7 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 5.00 | |
| Charuka Peiris | 13 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 4.23 | |
| Abheeth J Paranawidana | 10 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 3.90 | |
| Senadhi Bulankulama | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | |
| Mahith Perera | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senadhi Bulankulama | c Sanvidu Senartharachchi b Ranuka Malaviarachchi | 40 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 38.46 |
| Thishen Ehaliyagoda | c Sandesh Ramanayaka b Bulan Weerathunga | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71.43 |
| Dineth Gunawardena | lbw b Sandesh Ramanayaka | 10 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 38.46 |
| Romesh Mendis | c Sandesh Ramanayaka b | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 44.44 |
| Nathan Caldera | c Dasis Manchanayake b Ramiru Perera | 20 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Charuka Peiris | c Sineth Jayawardena b Sandesh Ramanayaka | 17 | 66 | 2 | 0 | 25.76 |
| Mahith Perera | c Sanvidu Senartharachchi b Bulan Weerathunga | 30 | 43 | 5 | 0 | 69.77 |
| Senesh Hettiarachchi | c b Sineth Jayawardena | 9 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 27.27 |
| Akash Fernando | not out | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Kavindu Dais | st Sanvidu Senartharachchi b Sineth Jayawardena | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Abheeth J Paranawidana | b Bulan Weerathunga | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 17 (b 6 , lb 0 , nb 2, w 9, pen 0) |
| Total | 153/10 (55 Overs, RR: 2.78) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranuka Malaviarachchi | 12 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 3.25 | |
| Bulan Weerathunga | 14 | 6 | 26 | 3 | 1.86 | |
| Sandesh Ramanayaka | 10 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 3.60 | |
| Dasis Manchanayake | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5.50 | |
| Sineth Jayawardena | 7 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1.29 | |
| Ramiru Perera | 10 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 2.90 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sineth Jayawardena | lbw b Akash Fernando | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 80.00 |
| Ovina Ambanpola | c Romesh Mendis b Akash Fernando | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 45.45 |
| Uvindu Weerasekara | b Akash Fernando | 28 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 65.12 |
| Dasis Manchanayake | b Akash Fernando | 57 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 116.33 |
| Ramiru Perera | not out | 46 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 135.29 |
| Sanvidu Senartharachchi | not out | 11 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 68.75 |
| Extras | 17 (b 11 , lb 0 , nb 2, w 4, pen 0) |
| Total | 168/4 (26 Overs, RR: 6.46) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Caldera | 7 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 4.00 | |
| Akash Fernando | 9 | 0 | 59 | 4 | 6.56 | |
| Kavindu Dias | 6 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 6.50 | |
| Dinura Gunawardena | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 5.33 | |
| Charuka Peiris | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thishen Ehaliyagoda | lbw b Ranuka Malaviarachchi | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dineth Gunawardena | c Uvindu Weerasekara b Sandesh Ramanayaka | 15 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 34.09 |
| Romesh Mendis | lbw b Bulan Weerathunga | 12 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 60.00 |
| Senadhi Bulankulama | c b Nethwin Dharmarathne | 13 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Nathan Caldera | b Nethwin Dharmarathne | 18 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 45.00 |
| Mahith Perera | lbw b Dasis Manchanayake | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 87.50 |
| Senesh Hettiarachchi | c Dasis Manchanayake b Sineth Jayawardena | 46 | 87 | 7 | 0 | 52.87 |
| Charuka Peiris | b Ramiru Perera | 22 | 86 | 3 | 0 | 25.58 |
| Akash Fernando | c Uvindu Weerasekara b Ramiru Perera | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kavindu Dais | lbw b Sineth Jayawardena | 14 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 73.68 |
| Abheeth J Paranawidana | not out | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 14 (b 8 , lb 4 , nb 2, w 0, pen 0) |
| Total | 161/10 (58.5 Overs, RR: 2.74) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranuka Malaviarachchi | 10 | 2 | 34 | 1 | 3.40 | |
| Bulan Weerathunga | 9 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 2.00 | |
| Sandesh Ramanayaka | 7 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 3.43 | |
| Sineth Jayawardena | 9.5 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 1.47 | |
| Dasis Manchanayake | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 2.25 | |
| Nethwin Dharmarathne | 10 | 2 | 27 | 2 | 2.70 | |
| Ramiru Perera | 9 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 2.78 | |
