66 runs to win off 12 overs in fading light was the target St Peter’s were given last year at the Battle of the Saints. Amidst all the chaos of pitch invasions, they cruised to 59 for 4 in 9.2 overs before umpires called it the game off due to bad light. Vinu Mohotty, the captain of St Peter’s College spoke to ThePapare about his experience last year.
It was an excruciatingly tense period towards the end of the game as the Peter-ite family stood just outside the boundary waiting for Lakshina Rodrigo (St Peter’s College) to hit the winnings runs. The clock was ticking and it ultimately ran out on them as the match officially ended in a draw, the Peterites falling agonizingly short of a deserving victory. “We were confident from the beginning. We knew we could chase it down and if all 12 remaining overs were bowled, we would have been over the line with utmost ease.” adds Vinu when he was asked how he felt when the target was given to them.
In the lead up to the match, the Bamba Brigade was in flying form. They had a well-balanced side with two batsmen nearing 1000 runs and two spinners who bowled well in tandem. Speaking of the preparation before the match Vinu said, “As a team we were doing well in the league, our batsmen were in form and myself and Taneesha were taking wickets so we were feeling confident. Before the match Chathura Aiya (Chathura Pieris, Captain of St Peter’s College in 2010) came and had a long chat with us and told us to take it as just another game in the season. Even Malinda Aiya (Malinda Warnapura, Head Coach of St Peter’s College) emphasized on the fact that we should play positive and strive for a win and that’s what we did. We came to win and we did that.”
The Peterites looked confident from the word go and they dominated the two days despite the resistance from the Josephian middle order. Going back to those two days, there were key factors in the game which worked in the favor of the Peterites. Taneesha Weerakoon’s 10 wicket haul and Manelka de Silva’s knock in the first innings were crucial but Vinu thinks the turning point in the game was something else, “Yes I agree that Taneesha and Manelka played a vital role in the game but I strongly believe that the key point of the game was losing the toss and Sandaruwan electing to bowl first.”
He goes on to explain as to why he thinks that this was the key, “If I won the toss I would have bowled first too. It’s a common belief that in the P Sara pitch it’s easy to take some early wickets and put the pressure on the batting side, but it wasn’t the case last year. After the first hour or so there was nothing much on offer for the bowlers and it turned out to be a belter of a pitch, which worked in our favor.” Peterite batsmen used the conditions well and took total control of proceedings to lay down the foundation for the bowlers to dominate.
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After dominating play, it all came down to the last hour when Peterites were given the target to chase down. They were well on their way but due to the fading light and of course the crowd invasions they fell just 5 runs short. The truth of the matter was that St. Peter’s would have cruised to the target if not for the interruptions in play. The organizers realized this and rightfully awarded the victory to Vinu and his team. “It was upsetting that we were denied of a well-deserved victory due to all the chaos in the field but I’m thankful for Rev. Fr Travis and the organizers for awarding us the win in the end.”
Vinu went on to explain how it felt like to lift Rev. Fr Maurice Legoc trophy, “The feeling was beyond amazing when I heard the announcement. Before going down to receive the trophy, we were in the dressing room and we could see all Peterites gathered just beneath us. All of them started singing our school anthem and we joined them and sang along. It’s a moment that I will cherish all my life.”
He went on to add, “I miss playing for school, and I wish I could play another big match. Last year we had the best turn up and you can’t compare the feeling you get when you represent your school in the big match.”
All good things must come to an end and Vinu surely had a fairytale ending to his school cricket career. The Peterites had a near perfect season last year and Vinu led the team to two all-island championships and most importantly the Big match victory. Before ending the conversation with us he had a message to this year’s team, “All I would like to say to them is to play positive and go for the win. Take it as just another game in the season and give it your fullest.”
