The 6th Cartman Cup between St. Benedict’s College and Wesley College ended in a draw after two days of closely fought cricket at the P. Sara Oval, with both sides sharing the honours in what turned out to be an evenly contested encounter.
Resuming Day 2 on 84 for 2, Wesley College built steadily on their overnight start, turning the game in their favour with a composed and disciplined batting effort.
>>Opening day sees both teams trade blows in balanced contest<<
Shamma Jhonathan Fernando, who was unbeaten overnight, went on to top-score with a well-crafted 76, anchoring the innings with great responsibility. He found excellent support from skipper Rashmika Amararatne, who contributed a solid 67, as the pair helped Wesley take control of the first innings.
Valuable contributions from Kavindu Nimsara Hettiarachchi (33) and Methnula Mayadunne (22) further strengthened Wesley’s position, as they posted 257 for 8 in 65 overs, securing a crucial first innings lead.
For St. Benedict’s, Manikya Deshapriya was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets, while skipper Mevan Dissanayake chipped in with 3, but they were unable to prevent Wesley from edging ahead.
Trailing on first innings, St. Benedict’s began their second innings under pressure and lost an early wicket. However, they fought back through Mihila Jayaweera, who played a patient and determined knock of 75 to steady the innings.
Tehan Bitar also made a valuable contribution with 46, helping the Benedictines rebuild and bat through the remainder of the day. Despite a few late wickets, St. Benedict’s reached 172 for 6 at stumps, ensuring there was no result possible.
With time running out and neither side able to force a result, the match ended in a draw, reflecting the evenly matched nature of the contest across both days.
Best Fielder – Dinuja Samarathna (Wesley College)
Best Bowler – Dinuja Samarathna (Wesley College)
Best Batter – Mario Fernando (St. Benedict’s College)
Player of the Match – Dinuja Samarathna (Wesley College)
Brief Scores:
St. Benedict’s College 222 (63.2) Mario Fernando 88, Tehan Bitar 55, Mihila Jayaweera 30, Dinuja Samarathna 6/63, Methnula Mayadunne 2/32 & 172/6 (64) Mihila Jayaweera 75, Tehan Bitar 46, Sriram Jeewahan 2/26
Wesley College 257/8 (65) Jonathan Fernando 76, Rashmika Amarathna 67, Kavindu Hettiarachchi 33, Rasheed Nayhan 23, Manikya Deshapriya 4/58, Mevan Dissanaike 3/91
Result – Match Drawn
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