Day two began with the game perfectly in the balance. However, St. John’s College gradually swung the pendulum their way to be the happier side at the close.
The day began with St. John’s starting their second innings. However, the overnight pair did not last long, as both were dismissed by the 9th over, with Murali Thison picking up where he left off yesterday to account for both wickets.
This brought Uthayanan Abijoyshanth to the crease, who went about his work with ease as he took the game away from Jaffna Central. He struck the ball well from the outset and finished on 121 off 105 deliveries, with 15 boundaries and 4 maximums.
Abijoyshanth was ably supported by skipper Murfyn Randyo, and the pair shared a partnership of 88 runs for the fourth wicket. However, none of the other batsmen were able to get going, as the duo of Murali and Haris picked up wickets at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard in check. Murali finished with figures of 7 for 62, giving him a match haul of 12 wickets, as St. John’s College were bowled out for 223 in the 54th over. This set Jaffna Central a tricky target of 248 given the conditions.
Jaffna Central College made a strong start to their chase, with the opening pair adding 44 runs before Jeyaseelan Jenoshan was run out in the 8th over.
From then on, the St. John’s bowlers did well to prevent any batter from settling in, taking wickets at regular intervals, with five of the six bowlers used sharing a scalp each.
Murali remained unbeaten on 22 as his side finished the day on 120 for 6 at the close, requiring a further 128 runs for victory with just four wickets in hand.
Will Murali bail his side out with the bat, or will an all-round St. John’s attack close it out on Day 3? We’ll find out tomorrow.
Brief Scores
St. John’s College Jaffna 119 (42.2) & 223 (53.4) v Jaffna Central College 95 (40) & 120/6 (36)
