The 75th Battle of the Golds and the 95th Battle resumed for day two with the expectation of a full day’s play. However, the weather gods had different plans, as day two of these historic encounters was cut short and played with multiple interruptions.
At Moratuwa, Prince of Wales’ College resumed their innings at 111 for 4 and started the day steadily until St. Sebastian’s skipper Ryan Dissanayake struck early on day two. Dissanayake trapped Gawesha Fernando right in front, making early inroads for the Sebastianites.
From that point onward, Prince of Wales’ College struggled to build momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals. St. Sebastian’s bowlers capitalised on the situation, eventually bundling out the Cambrians for 161 runs. Skipper Dissanayake was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with an impressive four-wicket haul.
In reply, St. Sebastian’s College did not get off to the start they were expecting. They lost their leading run-scorer for the season, Ushen Silva, in the fifth over itself, putting the Sebastianites on the back foot right away. At one point, St. Sebastian’s were struggling at 50 for 4.
However, with the arrival of Lashen Fernando at the crease, their innings took a turn in the right direction. Fernando played a crucial knock under pressure, scoring a handy 50 off 63 deliveries and lifting his team from the tough position they were in when he arrived.
At stumps, St. Sebastian’s stood at 127 for 7. Cambrian skipper Rivith Jayasuriya and Rusandu Silva shared two wickets each, causing havoc in their opponents’ innings.
With plenty of action still to come from Moratuwa, an exciting couple of days lie ahead
Brief Scores: 75th Battle of the Golds
Prince Of Wales’ College – 161 (68.4) Rivith Jaysuriya 50, Gawesha Fernando 38, Suwahas Fernando 20, Ryan Dissanayake 4/33, Shenas Hashein 3/35, Adesh Almeida 2/41
St. Sebastian’s College – 129/7 (43.2) Lashen Fernando 50, Ryan Dissanayake 33, Rusandu Silva 2/19, Rivith Jayasuriya 2/34
Stumps – Day 2
Meanwhile, at the SSC, Ananda College built on their overnight score of 154, making steady progress from the word go. Dinada Athalage and Kenul De Zoysa made batting look effortless in the middle. Athalage went on to score a memorable century, crafting a brilliant 131 off 288 deliveries, showcasing immense patience and persistence as he dug deep to accumulate runs for his alma mater.
Kenul De Zoysa, playing the perfect supporting role to Athalage, contributed a superb 73 off 141 deliveries. The duo combined for a crucial 100-plus partnership, putting the Nalanda bowlers on the back foot. Following Athalage’s dismissal, Ananda College declared their innings at 324.
In reply, Nalanda College openers were beaten at times but showed no urgency in their scoring. They batted patiently until stumps, carefully seeing off the new ball. At the close of play, Nalanda stood at 58 for no loss, making inroads into the game after spending over 90 overs in the field.”
Brief Scores: 95th Battle of the Maroons
Ananda College – 324/6d (92.2) Dinada Athalage 131, Kenul De Zoysa 73, Nethula Edirimanne 49, Kithama Widanapathirana 32, Punsara Rajakaruna 2/69, Osanda Pamuditha 2/80
Nalanda College – 58/0 (20)
Stumps – Day 2
Both of these games are set to be mouthwatering encounters on day three, provided we get a full day’s play.
Stay tuned to Sri Lanka’s No.1 Sports Channel, ThePapare, for live and exclusive action this Big Match season!
