[Preview] Sri Lankan Domestic : Sara Trophy Games
Vicky B. Vigneswaran
Batsmen dominate on third week
It turned out to be another high scoring weekend in the Coca Cola
division I Segment `A' tournament for the Sara trophy with no
less than five clubs topping the 400-run mark and seven batsmen
reaching three-figures.
Under bright hot sunshine batsmen made merry at Maitland Place
and Maitland Crescent where decisions on the first innings were
reached in nail-biting finishes.
Not for the first time this season, Singha SC batsmen ran up a
sizeable total, but yet finished on the losing side. On this oc-
casion they hit up 423, based largely on former Dharmasoka, Am-
balangoda captain Janaka Kumudu's innings of 132. But NCC proved
to be equal to the task when they set about attacking that impos-
ing total.
Their openers Russel Arnold (144), his second century in consecu-
tive weekends, and Damien Perera (82) provided them with the
ideal platform by sharing a first wicket stand of 193. After
Perera's dismissal, Panduka Dabare, the former President's Col-
lege cricketer, making his division I debut joined Arnold, and
the pair took the score to 253 for one.
When Arnold was run out at that score, NCC suffered a middle-
order collapse when they lost four wickets for 10 runs off 39
balls. Dabare (82) and former Sri Lanka leg-spinner Sanjeeva
Weerasinghe (56) took the score to 380 figuring in a sixth wicket
stand of 117, but when the ninth wicket fell at 410, NCC were
still 14 runs short of gaining the vital first innings lead. It
was eventually left to crisis man Lindon Hannibal (24) to see
them through by a slender margin of two runs.
Having overcome so much anxiety, NCC hit back hard in the second
innings to dismiss Singha for 110 in the second innings, but the
task of scoring 108 runs off four overs was totally beyond them.
One could not fathom the thinking behind attempting to reach that
total under fading light. They eventually called off the chase
after facing just 11 balls during which period they lost two
wickets for 17 runs.
The points NCC gained from the game was enough to give them the
leadership for the first time this season.
Colts were left wandering what they should do to achieve their
first victory of the season. A total of 436 for 8 declared proved
to be inadequate as CCC topped it off the last ball of the match
to win on first innings.
A sound double century from Test opener Dulip Samaraweera provid-
ed the backbone to the Colts total. Samaraweera needing a big
score behind him before leaving for Sharjah for the Interface Cup
tournament, finally came good, batting over nine hours for the
season's highest total of 250 not out.
But CCC exposed the fragility of the Colts bowling line-up by re-
plying with 440 for 7 with their opener Chaminda Handunettige an-
choring the innings with a implacable innings of 172 not out
spread ten minutes under 10 hours. The former Nalanda cricketer
displayed great concentration and shared in three century
partnerships with Asanga Perera, Varuna Waragoda and Asanga
Seneviratne to see CCC through.
In a repeat of last season's final, SSC did exceptionally well to
take first innings points from Bloomfield with whom they share
the division I title. SSC's total of 278 seemed insufficient, but
Bloomfield having home advantage and of whom much was expected
crashed to 252 all out with their batting collapsing to the leg-
spin of Suranjith Silva who finished with 6 for 80.
SSC whose weak bowling does not allow them to force outright de-
cisions, hence went for batting points and spearheaded by another
Marvan Atapattu century reached 350 for 9 which earned them an
additional bonus point.
Marvan the Marvel, left for Sharjah with a batting average of
184, making him the most prolific run-getter this season with 552
runs from three matches (4 innings). He has scored a century in
each of the three matches with 214 not out against Singha SC as
the highest.
Marvan took the spotlight away from the hard-hitting wicket-
keeper/batsman Nisal Fernando whose unbeaten 94 it was that saved
SSC from total collapse in the first innings when they were re-
duced to 35 for 4 by a rampaging Ruchira Palliyaguru. The Bloom-
field fast bowler ended up with five wickets.
Despite the win, SSC could not make much headway. They dropped
one slot to fourth place from the previous weekend. That change
took place because Sebastianites with an outright win over wooden
spoonists Moratuwa SC moved to second place behind NCC.
The battle of the two rival Moratuwa clubs at the Tyronne Fernan-
do Stadium was watched with much enthusiasm on the second day by
the former Minister after whom the stadium is named. He was
present to witness the highest individual score (201 n.o.) and
the highest total (492/6) being recorded on this ground by Sebas-
tianites.
Former St. Sebastian's captain Sanjeeva Silva took the honours in
this game with a career best innings of 201 not out in 6 1/2
hours which saw him star in two big stands of 161 for the fourth
wicket and 124 for the sixth with Chandana Mahesh and Sebastian-
ite schoolboy Nimesh Perera.
Moratuwa made a bold first innings total of 293, but fell to the
wiles of Perera in the second innings when they were shot out for
110. Perera followed his half-century with a five-wicket haul
which should give him enough confidence in Sharjah. Sebastianites
are currently on a roll having qualified for the quarter-finals
of the division I and II limited overs tournament and being un-
beaten in the division II tourney. They are coached by former
Sebastianite captain Sarath Perera who holds the distinction of
producing the last winning result (in 1966) in the traditional
schools match against rivals Prince of Wales.
Galle CC moved into the top five of the standings with their
second win in as many matches when they took full points from
Panadura SC. The medium-paced deliveries of S.M. Faumy who took a
career best 6 for 52 saw him upstage spinner Mangala Jayasena's 5
for 72 and bring Galle CC a win by six wickets.
Wattala Antonians gained their first win of the season at the ex-
pense of Tamil Union whose innings fell apart after promising
much at the end of the penultimate day. Chasing the Antonians to-
tal of 370, Tamil Union were nicely placed at 283 for 5, with Ru-
vin Peiris having contributed 94 from the top order and Damien
Nadarajah poised for a century (which he achieved the next day).
But these contributions proved to be in a lost cause when Tamil
Union lost their remaining five wickets for a mere 20 runs, fal-
ling to the bowling of Priyantha Weragoda and Krishan Dharmasena
who between them took seven wickets.
The home team fought back to reduce Antonians to 35 for 5 in
their second innings. At that stage an outright win was on the
cards, but their attempts were foiled by former Dharmapala crick-
eter Pasan Wanasinghe, who defied the Tamil Union bowlers for all
but 16 minutes of the total innings time occupied by the Antoni-
ans - 256 minutes, in scoring an undefeated 70. He hit one six
and 10 fours facing 195 balls.
Sharjah bound Sri Lanka one-day all-rounder Upul Chandana had a
good game completing a half-century in each innings and capturing
five Antonians wickets in the second innings with his leg-spin.
Another excellent performance from Marlon Saverimuttu - on this
occasion with the ball, brought Nomads an unexpected outright win
over Kalutara TC in their match played down south.
Having conceded first innings points to the home side, Nomads
snatched a one-wicket win through their last pair. It was left to
the old warhorse skipper Jayalath Aponso to use all his experi-
ence in steering his side to this nail-biting win. He scored the
majority of the runs in an undefeated 20 after the ninth wicket
had fallen for 241, when eight runs were required for victory.
Kalutara TC skipper Padmanath Perera did his best with five wick-
ets to prevent a Nomads victory, but it just wasn't on the cards.
The win was set up by Saverimuttu who followed his first innings
figures of 7 for 59 with three more wickets in the second, for a
match bag of 10 wickets. Top scorer in the match was Chandika
Seemon with 84 for Kalutara TC.
Former Kingswood cricketer Surath Liyanage made the top score of
the weekend in this segment with 96 for Kandy YCC in their first
innings win over Air Force.
Duncan Arnolda kept Kandy CC at the top of the table with another
all-round effort. Following his double century and ten wickets
the previous weekend, Arnolda had a match bag of seven wickets
and scored 42 runs in guiding Kandy CC to a four-wicket win over
Matara SC.
To Dileepa Sumanaratne has gone the honour of scoring the fastest
fifty of the season. His half-century off 21 balls for Kandy YCC
against Ambalangoda Rio SC at Ambalangoda in the second weekend
was a splendid effort. Dileepa eventually finished on 70 not out
scored off 32 balls which comprised 10 sixes.
The first weekend saw Matale CC bowler Senarath Gunasekara take a
match analysis of 9 for 118 to add to his half century in the
first innings against Negombo CC.
Kalutara PCC's R.S. Phillip with a match bag of 9/65 (including
6/41 in the first innings) and Ruwin Peiris, and D. Surendra who
has the best bowling figures this season, were the other bowlers
to take five wickets during the weekend under review.
Produced by Lake House in collaboration with Lanka Internet Ser-
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Copyright : Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited
Supriya Wickrematillake
How on earth did you know (about) Nimesh Perera?
supriya
ps. Do you Stanford guys *ever* do any work, other than cricket? :-)
Rohan Chandran
>wicket and 124 for the sixth with Chandana Mahesh and Sebastian-
>ite schoolboy Nimesh Perera.
>
>Moratuwa made a bold first innings total of 293, but fell to the
>wiles of Perera in the second innings when they were shot out for
>110. Perera followed his half-century with a five-wicket haul
>which should give him enough confidence in Sharjah. Sebastianites
yay!! :-)
so Nimesh is in Sharjah as I type. Wonderful :-) 17 now I guess...
Wonder when he'll graduate up to the next level?..... More to the
point, I wonder if he was responsible for the India-A batting
collapse?? :-)
Rohan [ #1 and only fan of Nimesh Perera on r.s.c. :-) ]
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