St. Mary’s claim first innings honors as 44th Battle of the Golds (Kegalle) Ends in a Draw

The 44th edition of the “Battle of the Golds,” the highly anticipated big match between Kegalu Vidyalaya and St. Mary’s College, Kegalle, concluded in a tame draw at the Public Grounds, Kegalle. This legendary encounter proudly stands as the longest playing big match in the Sabaragamuwa Province after its inception way back in 1963. Despite the stalemate on the final scoreboard, the fixture was alive with thrilling individual performances, ultimately seeing St. Mary’s College walk away with the coveted first innings victory and sharing the trophy with their traditional rivals.

The contest began with St. Mary’s College skipper Samuditha Kahandawala winning the toss and opting to bowl first on a surface that offered assistance to the bowlers. The decision paid early dividends as the Marians looked to capitalize on the tricky conditions. Kegalu Vidyalaya openers, Gaurawa Thejan and Yalitha Methsitha, showed resolve to put on 25 runs before Sasmin Dharmasena struck the first blow.

Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, the Kegalu Lions managed to keep the scoreboard ticking through small, valuable partnerships. The backbone of the innings was provided by the season’s top run-scorer, Shashin Medagedara, who continued his fine form to top-score with a gritty 41 runs. At 134 for 6, Kegalu Vidyalaya seemed poised for a competitive total, but a dramatic collapse saw the last four wickets fall cheaply. They were eventually bundled out for 145 runs. Lower-order resistance came from Dilshan Kavinda (20) and Migara Gamlath (18), but it was the off-spin of Gagana Sandaru that destroyed the batting lineup, returning magnificent figures of 4 for 33. Sulakshana Udawatta provided excellent support, chipping in with a couple of wickets.

• Kingswood and Dharmaraja gear up for epic clash at Asgiriya, Kandy
• Richmond out to retain, while Mahinda look to reclaim, but a result is on cards
• Annites escape jaws of defeat to secure thrilling draw in 42nd ‘Battle of the Rocks’
• 121st Lovers’ Quarrel ends in a tame draw; Mahinda College narrowly secures first innings victory

In reply, the openers Uththara Walisingha and Hirushan Chandrasiri were watchful against the Kegalu bowling attack, and tried to build a solid platform to their inning by surviving for 16 overs without losing a wicket though they accumulated only 27 runs. After breaking the opening stand,

St. Mary’s College found themselves in early trouble as the scoreboard dramatically changed to 59 runs for 5 wickets. At stumps on Day 01, Kegalu Vidyalaya held the upper hand. However, the second day belonged to one man: Sulakshana Udawatta.

Having already contributed with the ball, Udawatta delivered a batting masterclass under tremendous pressure. He anchored the innings with a magnificent century, scoring 130 runs laced with 14 boundaries and 3 sixes. His innings turned the tide completely. Supported ably by tailenders Harshana Udara and Sasmin Dharmasena, Udawatta guided his team past the opposition total. Once the lead crossed the 100-run mark, Udawatta fell to the bowling of Migara Gamlath, prompting an immediate declaration. For Kegalu Vidyalaya, Vihanga Sathsara picked up three wickets, while Shashin Medagedara, Kaushalya Bandara, and Migara Gamlath claimed two each.

Trailing by over 100 runs, Kegalu Vidyalaya faced a daunting task in their second essay. They were quickly reduced to 39 for 4, staring down the barrel of an innings defeat. It was then that Dilshan Dissanayaka launched a rescue mission alongside Sahan Sankalpa. The pair frustrated the Marians with a resilient 95-run partnership that effectively saved the match for their school. Dissanayaka played a slow and steady knock, agonizingly missing a well-deserved century as he was dismissed for 93.

Despite the fightback, St. Mary’s skipper Samuditha Kahandawala led from the front, claiming a five-wicket haul to keep the pressure on. Shehara Samarasinghe supported him well with three scalps. Kegalu Vidyalaya eventually declared their second innings at 222 for 9, setting a nominal target.

With only a couple of overs remaining, St. Mary’s College raced to 17 runs before the two captains agreed to shake hands. While the match ended in a draw, St. Mary’s College’s dominance in the first innings secured them the moral victory, and the two schools shared the trophy in a display of traditional camaraderie and everlasting brotherhood

Brief Scorecard

Kegalu Vidyalaya (1st Inning) – 145 all out  (51.1 Overs)

Shashin Medagedera 41, Dilshan Kavinda 20, Migara Gamlath 18, Gaurawa Thejan 16, Dilshan Dissanayake 16,

Gagana Sandaru 33/4, Sulakshana Udawatte 09/2, Samuditha Kahandawala 04/1, Tharusha Jayaweera 17/1, Sasmin Dharmasena  44/1

 

St Mary’s College (1st Inning) – 245/9 declared (106.1 Overs)

Sulakshana Udawatte 130, Uththara Walisinghe 19, Samuditha Kahandawla 18, Shehara Samarasinghe 17, Harshana Udara 16, Malinga Wijethunga 13, Sasmin Dharmasena 10*,

Vihanga Sathsara 42/3, Shashin Medagedera 2/20, Kaushalya Bandara 42/2, Migara Gamlath 2/66,

 

Kegalu Vidyalaya (2nd Inning) – 222/9 declared (113.3 Overs)

Dilshan Dissanayake 93, Vihanga Sathsara 29*, Sahan Sankalpa 25, Yalitha Methsitha 20, Gaurawa Thejan 14, Migara Gamlath 14 , Ometh Balasooriya 13,

Samuditha Kahandawala 41/5, Shehara Samarasinghe 53/3, Gagana Sandaru 43/1

 

St Mary’s College (2nd Inning) – 17/0 (2 Overs)

Malinga Wijethunga 13*