Pinnawala Central College secured a hard-fought 22-run victory on the DLS method over Rajasinghe Central College at the 2nd Battle of Blue & Maroon encounter, played on 14 March 2026 at the Ruwanwella Public Ground, in a match that was affected by rain during the interval, which led to a revised target in the second innings.
Rajasinghe Central won the toss and elected to field first, hoping to make use of the conditions early on. Their bowlers made a steady start, picking up an early wicket to leave Pinnawala Central at 13 for 1, and they managed to keep things under control through the first phase of the innings. However, the Pinnawala middle order recovered well after the early setback and built the foundation for a competitive total.
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The main contribution came from Tharuka Adithya, who anchored the innings with a well-constructed 81, holding one end together while wickets fell around him. He was well supported by Akash Kavinda, who played an aggressive knock of 64, putting pressure back on the bowlers during the middle overs. Uduja Jayasingha also made a valuable 43, ensuring Pinnawala Central maintained momentum and pushed the total past the 250 mark. Despite losing wickets towards the end, Pinnawala Central were eventually bowled out for 265 in 47.1 overs, a score that looked competitive on a slightly slow surface.
The best performance with the ball came from Thenuka Sasanka, who produced an outstanding spell to finish with 4 for 14 in 4.1 overs, cleaning up the tail and preventing Pinnawala from batting the full quota of overs. He received support from Sayuranga Thilakshana, who picked up 2 for 39, while Tharusha Thilakarathne also chipped in with two wickets to keep the total within reach.
Rain during the break interrupted proceedings and resulted in the chase being reduced, with Rajasinghe Central set a revised target of 162 runs in 26 overs under the DLS method, increasing the required run rate and putting early pressure on the batting side.
In reply, Rajasinghe Central started cautiously but lost wickets at regular intervals, making it difficult to keep up with the asking rate. Inura Wickramanayaka fought hard for his 45, while Vidun Rupasinghe contributed 28 to keep the chase alive during the middle overs. Disula Balasooriya added 24, but the required rate kept climbing as Pinnawala Central struck at key moments to halt any developing partnerships.
The Pinnawala bowling attack worked collectively to defend the revised total. Santhuja Ruwansad was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 14, while Methuka Jithen delivered an impressive spell, claiming 3 for 38 and keeping the scoring under control. Support came from Omin Wathsuka and Pradeep Rangana, who picked up a wicket each as Rajasinghe Central were restricted to 139 for 9 in their 26 overs.
With the rain-adjusted target proving just beyond reach, Pinnawala Central completed a deserved 22-run victory in the 2nd Battle of Blue & Maroon, capping off a strong all-round performance in a rain-affected encounter that saw both sides produce several notable individual efforts.
Match summary
Pinnawala Central College – 265 all out (47.1)
Tharuka Adithya 81, Akash Kavinda 64, Uduja Jayasingha 43
Thenuka Sasanka 4/14
Rajasinghe Central College – 139/9 (26)
Inura Wickramanayaka 45, Vidun Rupasinghe 28
Methuka Jithen 3/38, Santhuja Ruwansad 3/14
Pinnawala Central won by 22 runs (DLS method)
