St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena were crowned champions of the Under-19 Division 1 Tier ‘B’ Limited Overs Tournament 2025/26 after recording a comfortable victory over St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala in the final played today (5th November) at Surrey Village Grounds, Maggona.
Having been asked to bat first, St. Benedict’s put up a solid total of 256 runs, thanks to a remarkable lower-order fightback. The highlight of their innings was No. 9 batter Manikya Deshapriya, who produced a blistering knock of 50 runs off just 32 deliveries, hitting 5 fours and a six at a stunning strike rate of 156.25.
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At one stage, the Benedictines were struggling at 158 for 7 in the 39th over, but Deshapriya’s counterattack, along with vital contributions from the tail, helped them add 98 runs in the last 11 overs, pushing the total beyond the 250-run mark.
For St. Anne’s College, Ishan Khan was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 52 runs.
In reply, St. Anne’s College could only muster 166 runs, falling well short of the target. Opener Dinuga Abeysekara fought valiantly with a half-century, but the rest of the batting lineup failed to offer substantial support.
The star of the day, Manikya Deshapriya, once again made his mark with the ball, delivering an impressive spell of 3 for 31, ensuring a dominant all-round performance that guided St. Benedict’s College to a well-deserved championship title.
Brief Scores
St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena – 256 (49.5) Manikya Deshapriya 50*, Tehan Bitar 36, Reyan Shehara 34, Ayesh Gajanayake 27, Nadun Fernando 26, Ishan Khan 3/52, Manuja Wijerathne 2/31
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St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala – 166 (42.4) Dinuga Abeysekara 57, Yashmith Jayasundara 30*, Sanuka Kemsara 27, Binaru Denuwan 25, Manikya Deshapriya 3/31, Mevan Disanayake 2/18, Yohan Edirisinghe 2/30
Result – St. Benedict’s College won by 90 runs
 at Surrey Village Grounds, Maggona. ){kind=link}