THURSTAN CLINCH LIMITED OVER TITLE FOR THE FIRST TIME
by Reemus Fernando
Thurstan College captain Kavindu Kulasekara receives the championship trophy from Kumar Samarasinghe, Director (Marketing) Singer Sri Lanka, after Thurstan beat S. Thomas? College at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa yesterday.(Pic by Pinsiri Ariyaratne)
Thurstan College registered a 50 run victory over fancied S. Thomas? College according to D/L Method to win their maiden title as they reached 187 runs for two wickets in chase of a target of 218 runs before the Inter School Under-19 Limited Overs Tournament final was affected by rain at De Soysa Stadium Moratuwa yesterday.
The stage for the victory was set up by left arm spinner Arjun Gunawardena who picked up four key wickets to restrict Thomians to 217 runs before openers Sajith Gunathilaka and Minhaj Jaleel provided a solid platform for their chase.
Thurstan College team celebrate their victory after beating S. Thomas? College by 50 runs in the Inter School Under-19 Limited Overs Tournament final at De Soysa Stadium, Moratuwa yesterday. (Pic by Pinsiri Ariyaratne)
Thurstan had a bitter disappointment last week when they were denied the opportunity to take part in the quarter-final of the Under-19 Twenty-20 tournament, the dates of which clashed with their Big Match. After witnessing St. Peter?s advance to the semi-final of the Twenty 20 tournament in their absence, Thurstan had many reasons to celebrate when they beat the eventual champions of the Twenty 20 tournament at yesterday?s Limited Overs Tournament final.
Led by Sri Lanka Under-19 player Kavindu Kulasekara, Thurstan did well to contain the formidable batting line up of Thomians, who chose to bat first after winning the toss.
In their chase, Thurstan were given a robust start by Jaleel and Gunathilaka who added 77 runs for the first wicket. After Jaleel departed for 28 runs, Gunathilaka took the score to 120 with Thilan Gunaratne before retiring hurt.
Gunathilaka scored 67 runs in 76 balls with eight fours and a six. While Gunaratne made 32, Thimira Jayasinghe and skipper Kulasekara guided Thurstan to 187 runs in the 36th over before rain brought about a sudden end to the match. Thurstan were well ahead of the D/L target.
Unlike Thurstan, the Thomians had a disastrous start when they lost three wickets for 14 runs with paceman Achintha Kalpana removing the openers before they reached double figures.
On a wicket conducive for spinners, Thurstan pacemen Kalpana and Charana Nanayakkara did well to restrict them to 28 runs at the end of the first ten overs.
Sanesh de Mel who was anchoring the top order had to retire through an injury when the score was 62, leaving Thomians in a dire state. By that time he had added 48 runs for the fourth wicket. Then followed a valuable partnership of 111 runs between Chenutha Wickramasinghe and their Sri Lanka Under-19 player Thilaksha Sumanasiri.
But a dependable score was out of their reach when left-arm spinner Arjun Gunawardena picked up four vital wickets of Thomians? innings when they were just getting the momentum. He removed Wickramasinghe and Sumanasiri in quick succession before accounting for skipper Madushan Ravichandrakumar (15) and Tharindu Rathnayake (03).
He was adjudged the Man of the Match for his four wickets.
Scoreboard
S. Thomas? innings
Rashmika Opatha c Gunaratne b Kalpana 01
Nipuna Gamage c Gunaratne b Kalpana 04
Sanesh de Mel retired hurt 25
Dulanja Silva c and b Nanayakkara 03
Chenutha Wickramasinghe b Gunawardena 72
Thilaksha Sumanasiri lbw b Gunawardena 63
Madushan Ravichandrakumar c and b Gunawardena 15
Tharindu Ratnayake b Gunawardena 03
Helakamal Nanayakkara not out 13
Kulunu Rodrigo st Gunaratne b Weeratne 05
Nimesh Fernando b Jaleel 03
Extras (b2, ,b2, nb1, w5) 10
Total (all out: 46.2 overs) 217
Fall of wickets ? 1-6, 2-7, 3-14, 4-173, 5-174, 6-182, 7-195, 8-205, 9-211.
Bowling ? Charana Nanayakkara 5-1-10-1, Arjuna Gunawardena 10-0-35-4, Thimira Jayasinghe 5-0-22-0, Senal Wijesinghe 7-0-40-1, Kavindu Kulasekera 4-0-30-0, Minhaj Jaleel 4.2-0-30-1.
Thurstan innings
Minhaj Jaleel c de Mel b Ratnayake 28
Sajith Gunatileke retired hurt 64
Thilan Gunaratne st de Mel b Sumanasiri 32
Thimira Jayasinghe not out 37
Kavindu Kulasekera not out 11
Extras (lb1, nb1, w13) 15
Total (2 wickets: 36 overs) 187
Fall of wickets ? 1-77, 2-138.
Bowling ? Dulanja Silva 4-0-15-0, Helakamal Nanayakkara 2-0-10-0, Chenutha Wickramasinghe 2-0-17-0, Tharindu Ratnayake 9-0-47-1, Kulunu Rodrigo 3-0-18-0, Nimesh Fernando 3-0-14-0, Thilaksha Sumanasiri 5-0-21-1.
