The 42nd Battle of the Rocks big match between Maliyadeva College and St Anne’s College concluded in a gripping stalemate at the Welagedara International Cricket Stadium. In a contest that swung dramatically on the final day, St Anne’s College managed to escape from the jaws of defeat, holding their nerve to secure a draw against a dominant Maliyadeva side.
Resuming the final day with an overnight score of 15 for no loss, St Anne’s faced the monumental task of batting out the day against a Maliyadeva side buoyed by a mammoth first-innings total of 421/7. Maliyadeva, having declared late on day two, came out all guns blazing, determined to take the 10 wickets required for an outright victory.
The morning session saw the early departure of Sanuka Kemsara, who added 42 runs for the first wicket with Dinuga Abeysekara before falling to a brilliant delivery from Sonal Ashwin. The spirit of the game was exemplified by Kushan Subasinghe, who walked in to bat despite carrying an injury. Showing immense sportsmanship and grit, Kushan scored a brief 12 runs before being caught and bowled by Sonal Ashwin. The pressure mounted further when Ishan Khan was clean bowled by Ashwin after facing 17 deliveries, leaving St Anne’s in deep trouble at 66 for three.
With Maliyadeva sensing blood, the game witnessed a pivotal turning point. Sonal Ashwin was roaring through his spell, and from the other end, Thaveesha Balasuriya created a golden opportunity. He managed to take a leading edge from the bat of St Anne’s captain, Yashmin Jayasundara. What should have been a regulation caught-and-bowled chance turned into a lifeline for the Annites, as Thaveesha dropped the easiest of catches. It was a miss that proved costly for the Devans.
Captain Yashmin Jayasundara grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He proceeded to build a solid, match-saving partnership with the steady opener, Dinuga Abeysekara. While Dinuga provided the anchor, the pair frustrated the Maliyadeva bowlers. Dinuga survived another scare when he gave a stumping chance, but wicket-keeper Rajith Navodya fumbled the collection, granting the batsman yet another life.
Dinuga went on to compile a slow but highly valuable half-century, lifting the hopes of the Annites. The duo added a crucial 83 runs for the fourth wicket before Yashmin Jayasundara was adjudged leg-before-wicket to Thaveesha Balasuriya. The resistance continued as Dinuga played a spirited innings, reading the pitch well, but his valiant stay at the crease ended when Maliyadeva pace bowler Nishuda Chandrasiri delivered a stunning yorker to bowl him out for a well-made 78.
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Maliyadeva struck quick blows thereafter; Sanuja Dissanayake fell for a duck, caught off Thaveesha’s bowling, and Imanjith Herath followed after a brief 23-run stand, caught at first slip by Thiwanka Pabasara off Thaveesha. With the score wobbling and wickets falling, the momentum had firmly shifted back in Maliyadeva’s favour, and they were cruising toward an innings victory.
However, the lower order had other plans. Binaru Denuwan and Manuja Wijeratne displayed an exhibition of defensive batting that defied the odds. For the remaining 22 overs, the pair held their nerve, refusing to give their wickets away. Binaru anchored the innings with a gritty 35 runs off 128 deliveries, while Manuja Wijeratne played an innings worth its weight in gold, scoring just 2 runs but consuming 78 deliveries to ensure his team’s survival. Sonal Ashwin and Thaveesha shared six wickets among them, while surprisingly, the skipper of Maliyadeva suffered with a wicketless bowling spell.
Ultimately, St Anne’s posted a draw, snatching survival from the brink of defeat. While the Annites celebrated a hard-fought result, Maliyadeva College had only themselves to blame. Their slow scoring rate in the latter part of their first innings and a delayed declaration left them with limited time to force a result. Furthermore, their error-ridden fielding performance, marked by crucial dropped catches, hampered their chances of taking all 10 wickets.
The 42nd Battle of the Rocks thus ended in a hard-fought draw, but this edition became memorable for the Annites’ great escape. Apart from that, this edition became a records creator as the records for highest individual score in an innings, most number of centuries in an innings and highest team total were renewed.
Brief Scorecard
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala (1st inning) – 187 all out (55.2 Overs)
Kushan Subasinghe 58, Yashmin Jayasundara 52, Binaru Denuwan 24, Dinuga abeysekara 17, Sanuja Dissanayake 15
Nishudha Chandrasiri 68/4, Dimath Abeysinghe 45/3, Sonal Ashwin 50/3
Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala – 420/7 (111.3 Overs)
Rajith Navodya 157, Dimath Abeysinghe 103*, Chandupa Abeysinghe 71, Thaveesha Balasooriya 31*, Thiwanka Pabasara 24, Sonal Ashwin 11
Nesad Weerasekara 92/3, Sanuja Dissanayake 93/2, Dinuga Abeysekara 32/1, Yashmith Jayasundara 65/1
St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala (2nd inning) – 208/7 (104 Overs)
Dinuga Abeysekara 78, Yashmith Jayasundara 42, Senuka Kemsara 20, Binaru Denuwan 35, Kushan Subasinghe 12, Imanjith Herath10
Thaveesha Balasooriya 60/3, Sonal Ashwin 53/3, Nishuda Chandrasiri 30/1
Special Awards
- Player of the Match – Rajith Navodya (Maliyadeva)
- Best Fielder – Kushan Subhasinghe (St. Anne’s)
- Best Bowler – Sonal Ashwin (Maliyadeva)
- Best Batsman – Dimath Abeysinghe (Maliyadeva)
