Strangled by constant scoreboard pressure, Royal Institute struggled to maintain their offensive intensity and composure, crumbling in the face of a relentless assault by ICBT in the Sri Lankan finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket, played at the SSC grounds recently.
ICBT walked away with a 43-run victory beating Royal Institute who chased a target of 173 in their 20 overs. They lost wickets at regular intervals, and were bowled out for 129 in 20 overs. Overall, they did little to mimic the fluency which saturated ICBT’s batting during the first half of the match, which in fairness, was no easy feat.
Serenaded by a continuous flow of papare music, the ICBT men leapt off the blocks with an early onslaught, openers U. Hettige and H. Perera bludgeoning anything even marginally wayward with ruthless consistency. Perera proceeded to serve as the innings’ vital catalyst, combining brilliantly with the middle order, particularly N. Weerakoon, who smashed 33. He and Perera ripped the heart out of Royal Institute’s bowling attack, denting it with a barrage of offense that pushed them to a final intimidating mark of 172 for 8.
In stark contrast, Royal Institute were soon laboring at 58 for 4 by the 10-over mark after a clutch of cheap dismissals.
D. Fonseka tried valiantly to book a spot for his team in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in England, crafting a sublime 27 which featured three massive sixes. However, he received scant support from his teammates and when he had his stumps shattered in the 17th over, with Royal Institute lagging far behind on 108, the game was effectively dead and buried for Royal Institute.
But the party had just begun for ICBT’s large and vociferous contingent of fans, as they danced along the boundary line with Sri Lankan cricket’s most recognizable supporter, Percy, in tow.
Victorious captain Udara Hettige said he was overjoyed at his team’s performance, and relishes the chance of staging a strong charge for Sri Lanka at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals at the KIA Oval in London.
“It is awesome to have come away with a win; we really played well. It was a complete team effort and we are very excited to be going to London representing Sri Lanka. I’d like to thank Red Bull for giving us the opportunity to showcase our talent. Especially since we are from a private institute and don’t get a chance to do this often.”
For more information about the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals visit www.redbullcampuscricket.com
