Udupihilla, Jayamaha shine in Matale Thomians victory

Two fine performances by skipper Pandula Udupihilla and Nimesh Jayamaha helped St. Thomas’ to record their first outright win of the season, as they beat Siri Piyaratana MMV Padukka by 9 wickets in their under 19 Division (2) Inter School Cricket fixture concluded at Bernard Aluvihare Stadium in Matale.

Put into bat first St. Thomas’ declared their innings at 225 for 9 in 47 overs. Nimesh Jayamaha scored an elegant 101 inclusive of 16 boundaries and added 151 runs for the fourth (4th) wicket with Pandula Udupihilla contributing 73

Siri Piyaratana in reply were..out for 142 runs in 30 overs with right arm leg spinner Pandula Udupihilla returning impressive figures 4/11 and Taraka Devapriya Claiming 3/37.

Made to follow on with a deficit of 113 runs the victors were able to master only 136 runs. This left Matale Thomians just 23 runs for victory, which they knocked off in the fourth over for the loss of one wicket.

St. Thomas’ Matale – 225/9 declared (Nimesh Jayamaha 101, Pandula Udupihilla – 73, Sajith De Silva – 23, S. Sandaruwan 4/42, Sampath Wijesuriya 2/97)

Siri Piyaratana MMV – 142 all out (Madushanka Keerthi 43, Prabash Maduranga 19, Sampath Wijesooriya 18,Pandula Udupihilla 4/11, Taraka Devapriya 3/37) and 136 all out in 42 overs) (Prabash Maduranga 57, Sampath Wijesooriya 19, Pradeep Niroshan 3/14, Pandula Udupihilla 2/25, Nimesh Jayamaha 2/21).