Three games of the ongoing Schools U19 Two-Day Cricket Tournament 2022/23 came to a close on Tuesday (13).
Nalanda College, Colombo locked horns with Richmond College, Galle in a Tier A fixture in which the Richmondites took first innings honours after the game ended in a draw. The ace spinners from each team, Malsha Tharupathi and Sajitha Vithanage picked up 6 wickets each for the respective teams.
Tharupathi, a Sri Lanka U19 coloursman, bowled 24 overs for Richmond College with 7 maidens in them and walked back with figures of 6 for 45. His bowling brilliance helped Richmond restrict the Nalandians to158 runs in their first innings.
>> Malsha Tharupathi’s 6-fer wrecks Nalanda
Coming out to bowl, the Nalandian bowling pack-lead Sajitha Vithanage spun his way to another six-fer in this game. But his efforts were not quite enough to stop the Richmondites slipping away with first-innings points.
The Galle school scored 165 runs in their first innings as the game ended in a tame draw.
In another tournament fixture in Tier B, Lumbini College, Colombo met Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda at Lumbini’s home grounds, the Colombo Colts.
The good day for the bowlers kept going as Pathum Malitha of Dharmasoka College also recorded a fifer, helping his school to restrict the hosts to 171 runs. Malitha opened the bowling for Dharmasoka and bagged his 5 wickets for just 35 runs in 16 overs.
Dharmasoka bettered Lumbini’s score with 195 runs in their first innings as a reply.
Malith Kawindu of Lumbini College picked up 4 wickets to top the bowling card for Lumbini while opening batter, Randul Samarahewa top scored for Dharmasoka with 85 runs.
The two latter innings were a mere formality in this game as the school from the South returned with first innings points.
Devapathiraja College Rathgama missed out on a thumping win against St. Thomas’ College Matara after starting off brilliantly in the first essay of the game.
Having played the game in the Thomians’ own den, the Uyanwatte stadium, Devapathiraja batters posted a comfortable 277 runs onboard with quite a thick cushion for their bowlers.
Opener Sandaru Theekshana missed out on a hundred by a whisker, having made a patient 97 off 217 deliveries.
Skipper Jeewaka Shasheen also scored a brisk 89 runs in 100 deliveries.
Their bowlers took down the hosts for just 97 runs. Already having 6 first-class games under his belt, left-arm spinner Irushka Thimira was the star with the ball as he picked up a fifer.
The time factor was against the Devapathiraja boys as the Thomians went back to the defensive mode in their follow-on. The game ended in a draw despite the dominance of Devapathiraja College.
Brief scores
Nalanda College 158 (99) Eranga Jayakodi 33, Rusiru Vilochana 29, Malsha Tharupathi 6/45, & 121/3 (43) Rusiru Vilochana 66*, Sadew Samarasinghe 29, Yuri Koththigoda 2/39
Richmond College 165 (66.4) Sharon Abhishek 39, Maheesha De Silva 33, Tharinda Nirmal 31, Kavindu Nirmana 21, Sajitha Vithanage 6/61
MATCH DRAWN (RICHMOND COLLEGE WON FIRST-INNINGS POINTS)
Lumbini College 171 (61.2) Yasiru Yugath 47, Dhanitha Sandeth 26, Pathum Malitha 5/35, Chanaka Jananga 3/49, Senitha Halambage 2/26
& 117/7 d (47.4) Pasindu Mahisha 52* Pathum Malitha 3/19, Senitha Halambage 2/31
Dharmasoka College 195 (56.3) Randul Samarahewa 85, Chanuka De Silva 39, Malith Kawindu 4/15, Dumindu Sewmina 2/38
& 25/0 (3) Randul Samarahewa 21*
MATCH DRAWN (DHARMASOKA COLLEGE WON FIRST-INNINGS POINTS)
Devapathiraja College 277/9 d (75.3) Sandaru Theekshana 97, Jeewaka Shashen 89, Dinitha Prabanka 30, Pawan Sandesh 25, Navija De Seram 4/80
St. Thomas’ College 97 (38.4) Irushka Thimira 5/21, Pathum Shaminda 3/29
& F/O 126/2 (34) Pesandu Sanjan 39*, Abdul Maajid 34, Dumindu Sakshara 31
MATCH DRAWN
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