The third edition of the annual cricket encounter between St. Anthony’s College, Wattala, and St. Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa, famously known as the “Battle of the Golden Blues,” unfolded last weekend at the legendary P. Sara Oval International Cricket Stadium, Colombo. While the match concluded in a tame draw, it was the lads from Wennappuwa who walked away with the major honours, largely thanks to a dominant first-innings performance.
St. Anthony’s College, winning the toss and opting to field first, hoped to utilize the morning moisture to give their seamers an early advantage. However, the plan backfired as the pitch turned out to be a paradise for batting. The opening pair from St. Joseph Vaz, Damesh Mathisan and Isuru Induwara, capitalized on the favorable conditions, launching a relentless attack on the Antonian bowlers. The duo set the stage for a massive total, stitching together a mammoth 197-run partnership for the first wicket. Isuru Induwara was the aggressor, crossing the century mark with a spectacular innings comprising 12 fours and a towering six. The stand was finally broken by off-spinner Vishmitha Saroj after a prolonged struggle. Damesh Mathisan, unfortunately, missed out on a well-deserved century, departing for 95 runs (8 fours and 2 sixes) when Ridma Bashika found his stumps with a gem of a delivery.
Following the openers’ departure, Vazian skipper Shane Savio Fernando anchored the innings, though wickets fell at regular intervals from the other end. Despite the best efforts of Antonian bowlers Vishmitha Wijesinghe and skipper Kavindu Senadhi, who bagged three and two wickets respectively, St. Joseph Vaz College posted a formidable 324 runs before declaring. With a few overs left in the day, the Vazians aimed to strike early. However, the Antonian opening pair of Kavindu Vihanga and Kavindu Senadhi survived the tense evening session, closing the day at 33 for no wicket.
>>Vazians enter as favored titans against Antonians (Wattala) at P. Sara<<
The second day began with promise for the Antonians as the opening stand was broken after adding 43 valuable runs, with Kavindu Vihanga departing after a quickfire 34. Skipper Kavindu Senadhi then joined forces with Hitesh Ruwanda, adding 30 runs to take the score to 102 for 2, momentarily offering hope for a revival. However, despite valuable contributions from the top five, the Antonian middle order crumbled under pressure.
Shehara Dewthilina provided some resistance, holding up one end with a gritty 46 runs that pushed the team total past the 200-run mark. However, the final five wickets collapsed for the addition of just 32 runs, bundling St. Anthony’s out for 205 runs. This collapse handed St. Joseph Vaz a crucial first-innings lead of 119 runs. The architect of this collapse was the brilliant all-rounder Damesh Mathisan, who carried his batting form into his bowling, securing a five-wicket haul. He was well supported by pace bowler Himal Ravihansa, who chipped in with three wickets.
Trailing by 119 runs, St. Anthony’s adopted a defensive mindset in their second innings, aiming to bat out the final session for a draw. Himal Ravihansa provided an early breakthrough for the Vazians by dismissing an opener in the sixth over. Following this, Antonian skipper Kavindu Senadhi and Hitesh Ruwanda erected a wall of defense. Their rock-solid resistance gave the Vazians some nervous moments as the bowlers struggled to penetrate the partnership. Despite several bowling changes in the dying stages of the game in an attempt to open the floodgates, the Antonian pair remained vigilant, ensuring the game ended in a draw.
The prize distribution reflected St. Joseph Vaz College’s dominance in the encounter. Damesh Mathisan was the star of the show, adjudged the Best Bowler for his five-wicket haul. Following his magnificent century which set the tone for the match, Isuru Induwara was awarded the Best Batsman title.
In a commendable moment for the losing side, Chethin Dilsaru of St. Anthony’s College was honored with the Best Fielder award for his electric performance in the outfield, which included a brilliant run-out via a direct hit and saving several boundaries.
Ultimately, for his stellar match performance, scoring 95 runs and following it up with a five-wicket haul, Damesh Mathisan Fernando of St. Joseph Vaz College was deservingly awarded both the Best All-rounder and the Player of the Encounter titles.
Brief Scorecard
St. Joseph Vaz College (1st innings) – 324/8 dec. (80 overs)
Isuru Jayasekara 110, Damees Mathisan 95, Dominic Savio 51, Yasith Gimsara 12, Sasmitha Fernando 11
Vishmitha Wijesinghe 3/66, Kavindu Senadhi 2/44, Ridma Bashika 59/1, Akash Thejaka 81/1
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala (1st innings) – 205 all out (78.2 overs)
Shehara Devthilina 46, Kavindu Vihanga 34, Hithesh Ruwanda 34, Kavindu Senadi 24, Hafeez Junkeer 20, Sadeesha Kavinda 14, Ridma Bashika 13
Damees Mathisan 5/78,Himal Ravihansa 3/85, Amal Denuwan 12/1, Thathnula Liyanage 23/1
St. Anthony’s College, Wattala (follow-on) – 37/1 in (24 overs)
Hithesh Ruwanda 19, Kavindu Senadhi 14,
Himala Ravihansa 1/13
