The fourth edition of the ‘Battle of the Blazing Blues’ big match encounter was staged at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium during the last weekend, heating up the upcountry mountain ranges. In a display of dominance, the lasses from Mahamaya Girls’ College, Kandy, outclassed their arch-rivals St. Anthony’s Convent in every department of the game. With a clinical all-round performance, Mahamaya secured a resounding 71-run victory, retaining the prestigious Hill Country Queen’s Crown for the third time. The spotlight of the encounter firmly fell on national youth capped player Aseni Thalagune, whose dazzling all-round effort earned her the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Winning the toss and electing to field first, St. Anthony’s Skipper Poornima Gunawardhane looked to capitalise on the early morning moisture present on the grassy surface, anticipating swing and seam for her pace attack. The decision almost yielded immediate results. Openers Aseni Thalagune and Ganithya Kothalawala began with cautious intent, respecting the conditions. Right-arm pace bowler Malmi Herath made excellent use of the early seam movement, delivering a brilliant delivery that swung late to crash into Ganithya’s stumps.
However, Mahamaya recovered quickly with a valuable 49-run partnership between Thalagune and Sanuki. The Antonian bowlers fought hard to restrict the scoring rate, keeping it below four runs per over, but the breakthrough eventually came when Roshini Samaraweera dismissed Sanuki. Hashari Kaushalya then joined the set batter Aseni Thalagune, and the pair completely shifted the momentum. They cemented a brilliant 74-run stand off just 72 deliveries, injecting much-needed energy into the innings. The partnership was eventually broken when Kavishka Abeyrathne delivered a crafty off-spin delivery to remove Thalagune for a well-made 55.
Despite the late wicket, Mahamaya posted a competitive total of 146 runs at the end of their 30 overs, losing only three wickets. While Roshini Samaraweera, Kavishka Abeyratne, and Malmi Herath picked up a wicket apiece, the most impressive bowling spell came from Duleena Fernando, who delivered six economical overs for just 17 runs, remaining wicketless.
Chasing a target of 147, St. Anthony’s required just under five runs per over. However, their innings got off to a disastrous start. Opening batter Malmi Herath lasted only a single delivery, as Mahamaya Captain Yenuli Amarasinghe struck with the third ball of the innings to send Herath back for a duck. Captain Poornima Gunawardhana and Chamodi Mendis attempted a rescue mission, stitching together a 31-run stand for the second wicket. Just as the Antonians looked to settle in, Aseni Thalagune was introduced into the attack, and she dismantled the batting unit with her dazzling leg-spin.
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The Antonian middle order collapsed spectacularly, slumping from 32/1 to 41/5, putting the side in deep trouble. Yogarajan Pravinya and Duleena Fernando attempted to rebuild the innings and add some respectability to the score, but Thalagune was simply unstoppable. She continued her staggering bowling spell, hitting the timber repeatedly with her magnificent spin. The Antonian girls could only manage 75 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 30 overs.
Thalagune’s brilliance was unmatched as she followed up her batting grit with a stunning four-wicket haul, conceding just 9 runs to unarguably seal the star award of the game. Hashari Kaushalya also contributed significantly, taking a couple of wickets in an economical spell.
At the end of the day, the Mayans demonstrated a complete team performance. They established a platform with watchful batting before accelerating in the backend, and then tightened the screw with a brilliant display of bowling and sharp fielding. With this thumping 71-run victory, Mahamaya Girls’ College has extended their winning tally to three, stamping their authority as the Queens of Hill Country Schools’ Cricket.
Brief Scorecard
Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy – 146/3 (30 Overs)
Aseni Thalagune 55, Hashari Somarathna 34*, Sanuki Pathirage 18, Ganithya Kothalawala 07
Roshini Samaraweera 13/1, Kavishka Abeyratne 23/1, Malmi Herath 34/1,
St. Anthony’s Girls College, Katugastota – 75/7 (30 Overs)
Poornima Gunawardhane 18, Praveenya Yogarajan 12, Duleena Fernando 12, Nowani Muthukumara 07*, Chamodi Mendis 06
Aseni Thalagune 09/4, Hashari Kaushalya 09/2, Yenuli Amarasinghe 17/1
Mahamaya College won by 71 runs
Individual Awards
Player of the Match – Aseni Thalagune (Mahamaya)
Best Batter – Hashari Kaushalya (Mahamaya)
Best Bowler – Aseni Thalagune (Mahamaya)
Best Fielder – Poornima Gunawardhane (SAGC)
Photo Credit – Media Unit – Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy
