The cool, misty climate of Nuwara Eliya’s lush green central mountains and golden tea valleys was abruptly replaced by the heat of competition this past weekend. The occasion was the 4th Annual Cricket Encounter, famously dubbed the ‘Battle of Little England’, between Gamini National School and Holy Trinity Central College. Held at the historic Nuwara Eliya Public grounds (Cinecitta Grounds), the match was anticipated to be a close tussle between two Division III, Tier B rivals. However, the lads from Gamini National School had other plans, delivering a dominant all-round performance to secure a resounding 10-wicket victory and retain the prestigious trophy.
Winning the toss, Holy Trinity Captain Thomas Sebastian opted to bat first, a decision that backfired almost immediately. Openers Baskar Aswin and Sasikumar Shadhurwaran walked out to the crease, but Gamini’s bowling unit ran riot. The Trinitians found themselves in deep trouble at 26 for 3 within the first few overs. Balasubramaniyam Nikshan attempted a counter-attack, scoring a brisk 21 featuring a massive six and three boundaries, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end.
A brief 34-run partnership brought some stability, with Aswin playing an excruciatingly slow innings. Pushpakumar Dhushanth, who top-scored with 25 runs including a couple of boundaries and sixes, tried to anchor the innings. However, the lack of rhythm proved fatal. Aswin’s cautious knock of 24 runs consumed 144 balls, nearly half the innings. Holy Trinity was eventually bowled out for 141 runs. For Gamini NS, Rakshan Nimesh and Siwabalasingham Thanujan were the destroyers-in-chief, sharing four wickets each to rip through the opposition’s backbone.
In reply, Gamini National School’s openers, Daham Senevirathne and Sadew Nirwan, provided a solid and rapid start by making an early statement about their innings. The pair put the Holy Trinity bowlers under immense pressure, stitching together an 88-run partnership for the first wicket. While Daham Senevirathne was dismissed first, Sadew Nirwan went on to score a valuable half-century before returning to the pavilion.
The middle order capitalised on the platform, with all batsmen reaching double figures and contributing to handy partnerships. Sithum Geethanjana remained unbeaten on 42 runs as Gamini NS declared their innings at 208 for 5 wickets, securing a substantial lead. Holy Trinity Skipper Thomas Sebastian managed to claim a couple of wickets, but the damage had been done.
Trailing by 67 runs, Holy Trinity needed a resilient performance in their second innings, but it was not to be. Wickets fell at regular intervals, putting the team on the back foot from the outset. Muthulingam Rishanthan showed resolve, anchoring the innings with a half-century, but he received little support from the other end. The best partnership of the innings came late, with Sankar Yathushan adding a glimmer of hope with a 34-run stand for the ninth wicket. However, the resistance was short-lived. Rakshan Nimesh returned to clean up the tail, removing the final two wickets to bundle Holy Trinity out for just 140 runs. The bowling was a collective effort, with Siwabalasingham Thanujan, Shane Fernando, Rakshan Nimesh and Sadew Nirwan sharing the ten wickets between them.
Having been set a target of just 74 runs for victory, Gamini National School’s openers, Daham Senevirathne and Sadew Nirwan, walked out for the fourth innings with aggressive intent. They dismantled the bowling attack right from the first ball. Both batters scored 36 runs apiece, peppering the boundary with five fours each. The target was chased down in a mere 10.1 overs without losing a wicket. With this remarkable 10-wicket triumph, Gamini National School successfully retained the ‘Battle of Little England’ trophy, outclassing their arch-rivals in every department of the game.
Holy Trinity Central College, Nuwara Eliya – 141 all out (52.2 Overs)
Pushpakumar Dhushanth 25, Baskar Ashwin 24, Balasubramaniyam Nikshan 21, Sivakumar Sasidharan 16
Rakshan Nimesh 32/4, Siwabalasingham Thanujan 45/4, Shane Fernando 30/2
Gamini National College, Nuwara Eliya – 208/5 dec. (49.3 Overs)
Sadew Nirwan 51, Daham Senevirathne 42, Sithum Geethanjana 42*, Shane Fernando 17, Siwabalasingham Thanujan 16, Gimhan Kawushika 11, Kaveesh Chethiya 10
Thomas Sebastian 44/2, Baskar Ashwin 12/1, Sankar Yathushan 15/1, Visvanathan Dilushan 49/1
Holy Trinity Central College, Nuwara Eliya 140 all out (50.3 Overs)
Muthulingam Rishanthan 54, Sankar Yathushan 21, Sivakumar Sasidharan 12, Vijayakumar Dharshan 11, Visvanathan Dilushan 11, Pushpakumar Dhushanth 10
Siwabalasingham Thanujan 32/3, Rakshan Nimesh 43/3, Shane Fernando 33/2, Sadew Nirwan 17/2
Gamini National College, Nuwara Eliya – 74/0 (10.1 Overs)
Daham Senevirathne 36, Sadew Nirwan 36
Individual Awards
Player of the Match – Sadew Nirwan Ariyarathna (Gamini NS)
Best Batman – Muthulingam Rishanthan (Holy Trinity)
Best Bowler – Siwabalasingham Thanujan (Gamini NS)
Best Fielder – Sasikumar Shadhurwaran (Holy Trinity)
Emerging Players of the Match – Lakshan Nimesh (Gamini NS) and Baskar Ashwin (Holy Trinity)
, the match was anticipated to be a close tussle between two Division III, Tier B rivals. However, the lads from Gamini National School had other plans, delivering a dominant all-round performance to secure a resounding 10-wicket victory and retain the prestigious trophy.){kind=link}