Being hampered by rain, the first match of the Under 19 Division II school cricket season of both Kingswood College, Kandy and Sri Sumangala College, Panadura concluded with no decision yesterday (04.09.2015). The match was held at Asgiriya Police Grounds in Kandy.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first made the Kingswood scoreboard to tick up to a formidable score of 229 all out in 51.5 overs. Avishka Chandrasiri who was impressive with the ball by claiming 51 wickets during the last season (2014/15), played a scintillating knock of 50 on the first day of the match. Skipper Ruwantha Hathurusinghe played an aggressive innings of 53 runs sparing only 35 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes. Tail ender, Yasod Kavinda contributed 37 runs to the team total, in a decisive stage of the game.
The opening pace bowler of Sri Sumangala College, Isuru Malintha who was on fire, grabbed 6 wickets for 36 runs with 5 maidens. Into the bargain, Nipuna Deshan claimed a couple and both Steevan Susa along with Kaumal Nanayakkara took a wicket each.
The match came to a halt around 1pm on the first day due to heavy downpour, that interrupted the play. After resuming Kingswoodians’ paused score of 212 for 8 wickets, they were bowled out for 229 runs yesterday and Sri Sumangala College, Panadura batted thereafter.
Struggling against tight bowling attack of Kingswood at certain instances, Sri Sumangala College batted defensively throughout the game, and managed to get 122 runs for 6 wickets in 57 overs, when the rain again obstructed the play at 3pm.
Nipuna Deshan who scored over 500 runs in the previous season, along with Nipuna Rukshan of Sri Sumangala College added 26 runs and 41 runs respectively to the team total. Vice captain of Kingswood, Avishka Chandrasiri who was tremendous with the bat on the first day, claimed constructive 4 wickets for 27 runs in his 14 overs.
Kingswood bowlers bogged down the opponents when they lost their 5th and 6th wickets for 104 runs; that was precisely 25 runs short of avoiding the follow-on. However Nadun Abhishek (5 n.o) and the Skipper Seminda Thulakshana (13 n.o) who were on strike with safe strokes till the end, managed to add another 18 runs to the scoreboard without losing a wicket. The game was called off with No decision in the end.
Kingswood College, Kandy – 1st Innings
(212/8 paused) 229
(Ruwantha Hathurusinghe 53, Avishka Chandrasiri 50, Yasod Kavinda 37
: Isuru Malintha 6 for 36)
Sri Sumangala College, Panadura – 1st Innings
(122/6 paused)
(Nadun Rukshan 41, Nipuna Deshan 26, Seminds Thulakshana (c) 13 n.o:
Avishka Chandrasiri 4 for 27, Tharindu Liyanage 1 for 21)
