Trinity emerge schools limited over Kings
Trinity fulfilled their ambition which eluded them last year to emerge the Under 19 inter-school champions when they defeated Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda in a match worthy of a final played at the CCC grounds yesterday.
The hero for the Trinitians was their deputy skipper Janishka Premasinghe who came to his side’s rescue when they needed it most.
Janishka cracked a match winning unbeaten knock of 72 in 98 balls that included six boundaries and a six. Janishka having opened the innings saw his side at 27 for 5 in the tenth over chasing a decent target of 150 set by the Sokians.
Janishka first partnered Amrith Srimahan in a sixth wicket stand of 37 runs. Srimahan made a valuable 18 runs in trying conditions. This was followed by a match winning partnership with last year’s skipper Akila Jayasundara.
Akila an experienced campaigner and a player who has made immense contributions to the side on earlier occasions as well proved to be a worthy partner for Janishka.
The pair frustrated the Dharmasoka MV bowling attack picking up the singles and two’s and the occasional boundary to bring them closer to victory which they ultimately achieved with ease.
Janishka and Akila in the end carried the bat for 85 runs without being separated helping Trinity reach the target in the 42nd over which in the early stages looked almost impossible. Akila remained unbeaten on 40 which included five boundaries.
Earlier in the day Dharmasoka MV skipper Gihan Mihiranga won the toss and elected to take first lease of the wicket and they too underwent some anxious moments.
At the halfway stage of the in- nings the Sokians were struggling at 86 for 6 and lost two more wickets for the addition of seven runs and slid to 85 for 8 before a ninth wicket partnership of 54 runs between skipper Gihan and Duminda Kannangara helped them make a respectable 149.
But credit cannot be taken away from Dharmasoka MV who had reached the limited over final for the first time and was hoping to win their first title as they made Trinity work hard for their victory.
In the process Trinity who ended up as the top team in the league tournament added another feather to their cap and will be looking forward to clinch the Under 19 T20 title too which they are the defending champions.
Janishka Premasinghe was adjudged the Man of the Match.