DS Senanayake College lifted the Singer Schools under 19 limited overs championship 2014/15 when they defeated Ananda College by 42 runs in the grand final played at P. Sara oval grounds on Sunday.
DS Senanayake’s score of 317 was nearly chased down by Ananda College as their captain Sammu Ashan smashed a belligerent 103-ball 167 but could not take his team over the winning line as Ananda fell 42 runs behind.
The game was a high-scoring encounter on a hot & sunny day in Colombo amidst a reasonable crowd. Ananda skipper Sammu Ashan won the toss and elected to field. DS opening pair of Kavin Bandara and Thimila Vidyasekara got their team off to a solid start when they compiled a 58-run stand. Right-handed Thimila was the top run-scorer for the Dons with a 62-ball 62 scoring 9 boundaries and a six. The younger brother of the Bandara duo, Kavin made 34 while his elder brother Uvin made a cracking 36 and he was involved in another stunning partnership of 64 for the 2nd wicket with Thimila.
Torin Pitigala and Vishal Amugoda chipped in with valuable knocks of 49 and 40 while few other players in the caliber of Akeel Inham, Harith Maduwantha and Shifran Muthalif made 20s.
Torin scored his 49 runs in just 35 deliveries and was the aggressor in the 54-run stand for the 7th wicket with Shifran Muthalif as DS Senanayke posted a mammoth 317 runs on the board in 50 overs. Right-arm seamer Sahan Arachchige captured 4 wickets conceding 50 runs in his 9 overs while left-arm spinner Dilanka Sandaken took 2 scalps.
Chasing 318 runs to win, Ananda lost wickets at regular intervals as their top order and middle order failed to succumb to the pressure of a final. Skipper Sammu Ashan played the sole fighting role as he managed to keep Ananda alive with a wonderful knock of 167 comprised of 17 fours and 9 towering sixes. Sammu and tailender Dilanka Sandaken put on 72 runs for the 7th wicket with the latter contributing only 19 runs. Sammu then was partnered by Asel Sigera and they added 56 runs for the 8th wicket.
Sammu was finally dismissed for a brilliant 167 ending all hopes of a victory for Ananda. DS skipper Harith Maduwantha was the pick of the bowlers taking 3 wickets for 48 runs in his spell of 8.4 overs as DS Senanayake College won the Schools Limited-Overs title after 12 years.
Sammu Ashan was named the man-of-the match.
Chief Scores:
DS Senanayake College – 317 all out in 50 overs: Thimila Vidyasekara 62, Kavin Bandara 34, Uvin Bandara 36, Akeel Inham 22, Vishal Amugoda 40, Harith Maduwantha 22, Torin Pitigala 49, Shifran Muthalif 25, Sahan Arachchige 4/50, Dilanka Sandakan 2/39
Ananda College – 275 all out in 43.4 overs: Sammu Ashan 167,Dilanka Sandakan 19, Kavishka Anjula 21, Asel Sigera 16, Thimila Vidyasekara 1/29, Harith Maduwantha 3/48, Raveen de Silva 2/44, Sachin Bandara 2/55.
