St. Peter’s College and Trinity College will meet in the final of the 2013 Murali Harmony Cup on Tuesday in Kilinochchi after both cruising to comfortable victories in their respective semi-finals on Monday.
Trinity College bounced back from a group game defeat on Sunday to overpower a spirited and talented Dharmashoka College at the IODR Oval in Oddusudan.
Dharmashoka College – cheered on by new-found friends from Mullaitivu Combined Schools, with whom they had competed in the group stages – recovered from an early collapse to finish with 128 all out in their 20 overs.
That was a defendable total at a low-scoring venue, but Trinity College’s top order took control with skipper R.K. Chandraguptha leading from the front with 37 from 22 ball to secure victory with three overs to spare.
Defending champions St. Peter’s, meanwhile, maintained an unblemished record in the tournament with a superb bowling and fielding display.
Cricket Seenigama had beaten Trinity College the day before in Kilinochchi, but were left shell-shocked after being bundled out for just 44 in 15 overs.
Slow left-arm spinner S. Nanayakkare was the chief destroyer claiming for 17 from his four overs. In reply, St. Peter’s cruised home with 8.4 overs to spare.
The two teams, fittingly the two strongest teams in the competition this year, will play the final at 1.30pm in Killinochchi with spin legend and world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan attending as the Chief Guest.
The Murali Harmony Cup is a 20-team reconciliation cricket tournament staged in to promote unity, goodwill, teamwork, the spirit of fair play and, more importantly, service to disadvantaged rural communities in post-war Sri Lanka.
The tournament has been jointly organised by former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralidharan’s charity the Foundation of Goodness, travel company Red Dot Tours and the Sri Lanka Army.
The 5-day event featuring U19 schoolboys and U23 women cricketers is being played at five grounds across Northern Sri Lanka in the towns of Jaffna, Oddusuddan, Mankulam, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya from 1-5 November.
Summary Scores
Kilinochchi Central College (Mens)
St Peter’s College v Cricket Seenigama
Cricket Seenigama 44 all out in 15 overs (S. Nanayakkare 5-17) v St. Peter’s 48 for 2 wickets in 11.2 overs
St Peter’s College won by 8 wickets
MOM: S. Nanayakkare
IODR Oval, Oddusudan (Mens)
Dharmashoka College v Trinity College
Dharmashoka College 128 all out in 20 overs (S. Jayamal 26 not out, R.S. Sayer 2-14) v Trinity College 131 for 3 wickets in 17 overs (N.M. Munaweera 34, R.K. Chandraguptha 37)
Trinity College won by 7 wickets
MOM: R.K. Chandraguptha
