A lower order rally by Randev Pathirana, Thiran Dhanapala and Harith Samarasinghe were unable to overcome the top order collapse as S.Thomas’ College held their nerve to retain the Mustang’s Trophy by 16 runs yesterday.
Royal smashed 98 runs in the final ten overs but it came a little too late after their top five batsmen managed only 93 runs in 27 overs. Pathirana and Dhanapala orchestrated the rescue act for Royal and put on 70 runs for the 6th wicket at almost a run a ball. With Royal starting to accelerate Helakamal Nanayakkara brought in Thomians’ most economical bowler, fresher Nimesh Fernando and he duly kept his captain’s faith in him trapping Pathirana in-front for 49.
Needing 114 in 11 overs Royal skipper Harith Samarasinghe joined Dhanapala and put on 73 runs in 49 balls before Dhanapala was caught by Danush Peiris off the bowling of Tharindu Rathnayake for a well compiled 64 inclusive of 4 fours and two sixes. The trio gave ‘Big Match’ best bowler Sachitha Jayathilake a taste of his own medicine drilling 52 runs in his 7 overs. Samarasinghe(42) and Himesh Ramanayake(15*) tried valiantly to get the required 42 runs but the penultimate over by Nimesh Fernando which gave away just 7 runs dashed all hopes. Nimesh Fernando questioned why he wasn’t included into the ‘Big Match’ with a stellar 2 for 26 in 10 overs.
As it did in the 136th Battle of the Blues a week earlier the Royal top order failed miserably in the chase of 278 with their negative batting and accurate bowling of Nimesh and spin of Nipuna Gamage and Rathnayake adding pressure on the batsmen to come. Yasawardena, Jayawardena and Royal’s highest run scorer for the season Naveen Widanapathirana took 21, 48 & 46 balls respectively to get their scores of 9, 27 & 25. Needing to up the ante Chamika Karunarathe was picked up by Rathnayake for a run a ball 17 which left Royal at 93 for 5 in 26.4 overs.
Earlier in the day after being put into bat by Royal, S.Thomas’ College posted an impressive 277/6 including four half centurions together with the help of some bad fielding by Royal missing a few run outs and bowling. They lost their successful opening pair who had put on 100 run partnership at the Battle of the Blues for 18 runs before Nipuna Gamage and Chenutha Wickramasinghe added a 100 partnership of their own in 123 balls. Gamage who struck a fluent 55 was bowled by the ever so reliable Lasith Ambuldeniya which brought in Danush Peiris with a point to prove. He did exactly that as he played out the rest of 23 overs and was not out on 64 with 6 fours and 2 sixes. Chenutha departed for 60 inclusive of 6 fours and 1 six after putting on 53 for the 4th wicket with Peiris.
Tharindu Rathnayake didn’t last long and with the score on 196 for 5 in the 42 overs in came Sachitha Jayathilake who as he did in the past two limited overs encounters lit the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground alight. Sachitha took Chamika Karunarathne and Harith Samarasinghe to the cleaners hammering 4 monster sixes and 5 fours on his way to the fastest Mustang’s Trophy fifty in 23 balls. Chamika and Harith finished with 1/70 and 2/59 respectively as S.Thomas’ posted 277 with 12 wides and 3 no-balls by the Reid Avenue bowlers. S.Thomas’ College gave away just two wides.
Chief Scores
S.Thomas’ College 277/6 (Danush Peiris 64*, Chenutha Wickramasinghe 60, Nipuna Gamage 55, Sachitha Jayathilake 51, Harith Samarasinghe 2/59, Lasith Ambuldeniya 1/26)
Royal College 261/8 (Thiran Dhanapala 64, Randev Pathirana 49, Harith Samarasinghe 42, Tharindu Rathnayake 3/46, Nimesh Fernando 2/26, Helakamal Nanayakkara 2/51)
