Maliyadeva College staged a superb batting performance, followed by an even better bowling display, at the 41st Battle of the Rocks annual cricket encounter, which ended in a tame draw.
With the help of a glorious century from Maliyadeva skipper Chandupa Abeysinghe on Day 1, Maliyadeva managed to post a massive total of 309. After ending Day 1 at 221/6, St. Anne’s pace bowler Geethika Silva managed to dismiss the Maliyadeva skipper, who had made their task significantly harder the previous day.
>>“Battle of the rocks” encounter to heat up Kurunegala<<
Thereafter, Vinika Galappaththi (65 runs, including 5 fours and 4 sixes) and Sonal Ashwin (44 runs with 6 boundaries) delivered some fireworks early in the day, injecting life into a game that had seemed like a dead rubber.
>>Chandupa takes all the honours of Day 1 in the ‘Battle of the Rocks’<<
Although the St. Anne’s bowlers eventually dismissed all the Maliyadeva batters, the damage had already been done. Spinner Shehan Kumara, who bowled an exhausting 31-over spell, was the pick of the Annites’ bowlers, taking three wickets. On Day 1, Shehan consistently troubled the batters but was unlucky not to claim a wicket. However, on Day 2, his perseverance paid off. Apart from him, Bazeer Shakeel, Geethika Silva, and Yashmin Jayasundara took two wickets each, while Kevin Nanayakkara also chipped in with a wicket.
In reply, St. Anne’s College made a slow start, but a mix-up in running between the wickets saw them lose their first wicket early. Then, the star of Day 2, Thaveesha Balasooriya, began his wicket-taking spree. With the Annites adopting a defensive batting approach, their progress was repeatedly hindered by regular wickets. As St. Anne’s failed to build a single partnership exceeding 30 runs, they were eventually bowled out for 119.
Valuable contributions from Chamith Sesanjana, Yashmin Jayasundara, and Oshadha Kodikara helped St. Anne’s reach the three-figure mark.
Spinning star Thaveesha took a five-wicket haul, dismantling the strong batting lineup of their arch-rivals. Meanwhile, Dimath Abeysinghe, Olitha Neranjan, and Dimantha Arusha each claimed a wicket.
Due to time constraints, Maliyadeva decided to bat again, most likely as practice for the upcoming limited-overs encounter. They displayed much more aggression in their second innings, with Sri Lankan U-17 player Rajitha Navodya setting the tone with a lovely cover drive for a boundary off the very first ball. At one stage, Maliyadeva was cruising at 46/1 within just 7 overs.
However, a counterattack from St. Anne’s saw them take three quick wickets while conceding only four runs, thanks to a superb bowling display and an even better fielding effort. Rajitha Navodya played a brief but entertaining cameo, scoring 27 runs off 23 balls, including 2 sixes and a four. Yashmin Jayasundara once again impressed, taking two wickets, while Bazeer Shakeel and Shehan Kumara claimed one wicket each.
With Maliyadeva’s score at 50/4, play was interrupted due to bad light, ultimately bringing the match to a close. Despite the game ending in a draw, the dominant Maliyadeva side emerged with the major honors in yet another thrilling Battle of the Rocks encounter.
Maliyadeva 1st Inning
309 all out
Chandupa Abeysinghe 106, Vinuka Galappaththi 65, Sonal Ashwin 44, Dimath Abeysinghe 33, Rajith Navodya 28
Shehan Kumara 94/3, Yashmin Jayasundara 43/2, Geethika Silava 49/2, Bazeer Shakeel 63/2
St, Anne’s 1st Inning
119 all out
Chamith Sesanjana 25, Yashmin Jayasundara 25, Oshadha Kodikara 19, Kushan Subasinghe 16
Thaveesha Balasooriya 52/5, Dimath Abeysinghe 19/1, Olitha Neranjan 22/1, Dimantha Arusha 12/1
Maliyadeva 2nd Inning
50/4
Rajitha Navodya 28, Pahasara Bandara 11
Yashmin Jayasundara 1/2, Shehan Kumara 12/1, Bazeer Shakeel 8/1
Special Awards
Best Batsman – Chandupa Abeysinghe (MCK)
Best Bowler – Thaveesha Balasooriya (MCK)
Best Fielder – Buddhima Nandasiri (SACK)
Man of the Match – Chandupa Abeysinghe (MCK)
