The most awaited sporting festival in the Colombo suburb city of Panadura, the 27th edition of the Haritha Maha Satana, commenced today at the Tyrone Fernando Stadium, Moratuwa. When the Umpires halted play due to bad light on the inaugural day, it was St. John’s College, Panadura who took all the honors, largely thanks to a dominating, unbeaten century by their opener Bhanuka Adithya.
St. John’s College Skipper Madusha Perera won the toss and had absolutely no hesitation in electing to bat first on what looked to be a batting paradise in Moratuwa. Openers Sadew Pabasara Perera and Bhanuka Adhithya Disanayaka walked out to the middle and provided a slow but highly steady start. The Johnians did offer a few early chances, but a lackluster Royal College outfit failed to capitalise, immediately putting themselves on the backfoot. As the innings progressed, it was Bhanuka who began to break the shackles, while Sadew held his ground with a resolute, natural defensive approach. The duo successfully navigated the morning session, carrying their bats to lunch with the scoreboard reading 62 without loss.
Following the interval, the pair continued to accumulate runs through risk-free Cricket, stitching together a brilliant 85-run post-lunch partnership that firmly placed St. John’s in the driving seat. Just when the Royalists were searching for answers, their leading wicket-taker, Yesara Nithil, stepped up to the occasion. Nithil provided the vital breakthrough, dismantling an opening stand that had become a massive threat. Sadew, who had kept his cool throughout the day, finally lost his patience, going across the wicket for a big pull shot, only to be caught at mid-wicket, bringing a massive sigh of relief to the Royal camp. The relief continued for Royalists, as the new batter, Chenuka Rehan, didn’t last long. Right-arm medium-pacer Yesara Nithil struck again, sending Rehan back to the pavilion for a duck without troubling the scorers, leaving the Johnians at 93 for 2.
With two quick wickets falling, Bhanuka Adithya got together with Deputy Skipper Tharul Laksanda to stabilize and rebuild the innings. As the fine talent inched closer to a well-deserved century, the tension around the ground grew, only to be released when Adithya pushed the ball towards extra cover to bring up the coveted three-figure mark.
As the final session unfolded, the duo started another formidable partnership, negotiating the Royal bowling attack with absolute ease. They became a severe headache not only for the Royal bowlers but also for the massive crowd of Royal supporters who had turned up at the Tyrone Fernando Stadium in numbers, leaving them in complete silence.
When bad light ultimately stopped play, Bhanuka Adithya had stolen the spotlight with a majestic, unbeaten 132 runs, decorated with 19 elegant boundaries and a massive six. He was well-supported by Vice Captain Tharul Laksanda, who remained unbeaten on a fluent half-century comprising 12 boundaries. The pair had put up a mammoth, unbroken 141-run partnership for the third wicket.
At the close of Day 1, St. John’s College, Panadura find themselves in a thoroughly commanding position. Having completely dominated the opening day’s play, the onus is now entirely on Royal College, Panadura, who will need nothing short of a miraculous comeback with the ball on the second morning to turn this game in their favor.
Brief Scorecard
St. John’s College, Panadura (1st Innings) – 234/2 (76 Overs)
Banuka Adhithya 132*, Tharul Laksanda 67*, Sadew Pabasara 26
Yesara Nithil 58/2
