St Peter’s College won the Murali Harmony Cup for the second successive year securing a four wicket victory against Trinity College on Tuesday in Kilinochchi.
The defending champion were the team of the tournament and deserved winners, undefeated in their five games and impressive with their batting, bowling and fielding.13
Watched by the largest crowd of the tournament, St Peter’s College took control right from the start after winning the toss and making early breakthroughs, slipping to 33 for 4.
Opener Kaveen Hiniduma led a modest fight-back, top-scoring with 24 from 21 balls, but Trinity College were only able to finish with 102 for 9 in their 20 overs.
Left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkara was the best bowler, claiming 3 for 14 from his four overs. Nanayakkara was also adjudged the Best Bowler of the Tournament for his 11 wickets at 5.90.
Despite a disappointing total, Trinity College fought right until the end, taking wickets at regular intervals and creating a few jitters in the St. Peter’s dug-out.
However, opener H. Upendra, the Batsman of the Tournament (131 runs at 26 in the tournament), steadied the innings with 26 from 35 balls.
St. Peter’s captain Kavinda de Thissera guided St. Peter’s College home with 24 not out.
The Murali Harmony Cup is a 20-team reconciliation cricket tournament staged in to promote unity, goodwill, teamwork, the spirit of fair play and, more importantly, service to disadvantaged rural communities in post-war Sri Lanka.
The tournament has been jointly organised by former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralidharan’s charity the Foundation of Goodness, travel company Red Dot Tours and the Sri Lanka Army.
The 5-day event featuring U19 schoolboys and U23 women cricketers was played at five grounds across Northern Sri Lanka in the towns of Jaffna, Oddusuddan, Mankulam, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya from 1-5 November.
Summary Scores
Trinity College v St. Peter’s College
Trinity College 102 for 9 wickets in 20 overs (K. Hiniduma 24, S. Nanayakkara 3-13)
St. Peter’s College 106 for 6 wickets in 19 overs (H. Upendra 26, K. de Thissera 24 not out)
St. Peter’s College won by four wickets
MOM: K. de Thissera
