Rajans complete double
The present Dharmaraja College cricketers created history by becoming the first team in the hill capital’s “Battle of the Maroons’ to complete the double of winning the big match and the limited over clash when they beat Kingswood College by 54 runs to regain the Winston Hoole Memorial trophy in their 24th limited over clash played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
The present Dharmaraja College cricketers created history by becoming the first team in the hill capital’s “Battle of the Maroons’ to complete the double of winning the big match and the limited over clash when they beat Kingswood College by 54 runs to regain the Winston Hoole Memorial trophy in their 24th limited over clash played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium yesterday.
With this win the Rajans have won 10 times and the Kingswoodians 11 times while three matches have ended in “No decisions”
The series was started in the mid eighties and though there was a result in the limited over clash but there was no decision in the big match and a stalemate of 30 draws was witnessed till the Rajans won it last year. But they lost the limited over clash. This year they won both versions of the game to complete the double for the first time.
Dharmaraja College winning the toss electing to bat first scored 288 for 8 in their 50 overs. Opener Rameesh Ranasinghe made 58 with 8 fours off 93 balls and Deneth Lanka made 53 not out in 33 balls with 10 fours.
Kingswoodians chasing this huge total were 25 for 2 when rain stopped play. The overs were revised under the Duckworth Lewis System and the Kingswoodians were given a revised target of 202 runs in 25 overs and they went upto 148 for 5 in 25 overs. Supun Bandara who made 70 in the big match once again batted well to score 59 not out while skipper Nisitha Weerakoon made 41 not out and this pair was involved in a stand of 78 for the sixth wicket but this was not good enough to bring them victory.deneth Lanka of Dharmaraja College was adjudged the Man of the Match.
Dharmaraja College 288 for 8 in 50 overs (Rameesh Ranasinghe 58, Deneth Lanka 53 not out, Sasith Gunasekera 36, Lakshan de Silva 38, Chandimal De Silva 26, Nuwan Karunaratne 19, Jayapadma Tennakoon 16, Lakmal Hettiarachchi 3 for 36, Supun Bandara 2 for 40)
Kingswood College 148 for 5 in 25 overs (Supun Bandara 59 not out, Nisitha Weerakoon 41 not out, Dasitha Kandanarachchi 28, Arvinda Withanarachchi 1 for 18, Deneth Lanka 1 for 27)