WP South, Southern Province battle for supremacy
THE TEAMS:
Western Province South and Southern Province will battle for supremacy to lay their hands on the trophy in the final of the U19 Super Provincial limited overs tournament scheduled to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium today.
The final is no doubt going to be an interesting tussle as the two teams booked their berth to the final having recorded wins against the two top teams that came out from the two groups with Western Province South defeating the unbeaten Western Province North side and Southern Province overcoming the other unbeaten team North Western Province in the second semi-final.
In the run up to the final Western Province South led by Nipun Deshan ended as the best team in Group ‘A’ started off with a seven wicket against Northern Province and a 120 run win over Central Province before undergoing a 67 run defeat to North Western Province and ended the campaign with a 43 run win over Uva Province and beat Western Province North
- Nipun Deshan (Captain - Sri Sumangala Panadura), Tharusha Fernando (St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa), Nishan Madushka (Moratu MV), Kamil Mishara (Mahanama Panadura), Tashik Perera (St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa), Nuwanindu Fernando (St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa), Avindu Fernando (Prince of Wales), Sanoj Dharshika (Prince of Wales), Rohan Sanjaya (Tissa MMV Kalutara), Ashan Dilhara (St. John’s Panadura), Shehan Dilshan (Wadduwa Central), Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central), Kavindu Umayanga (Holy Cross Kalutara), Poorna Prabath (Sripali Horana), Avishka Lakshan (Kalutara Vidyalaya), Inshaka Maduvinda (Kalutara Vidyalaya), Hiran Gunasekara (Manager), Upul Gunathilaka (Schools Representative), Niroshan Bandarathilaka (Provincial Coach), Ajith Weerasinghe (District Coach), Lasith Chaminda (District Coach), Chaminda Jayasinghe (District Coach), Wasantha Wijesooriya in the semi-final.
Southern Province led by Dhananjaya Lakshan on the other hand advanced to the final from Group ‘B’ after having ended as the best team by recording three wins over North Central Province by seven wickets, EasternProvince by eight wickets and Western Province Central by 76 runs on Parabola method but underwent a defeat to (District Coach)
- Dhananjaya Lakshan (Captain- Richmond), Ravindu Sanjana (St. Aloysius Galle), Avindu Theekshana (Richmond), Raveen Yasas (Devapathiraja MMV Rathgama), Dilum Sudeera (Karandeniya Central), Hansika Welihinda (Mahinda), Dimuth Sandaruwan (Karandeniya Central), Ravishka Wijesiri (Richmond), Thaveesha Abhishek (Richmond), Sandun Mendis (Richmond), Reshan Kavinda (Mahinda), K.K. Kevin Western Province North before overcoming North Western Province in the semi-final.
The two posses talented players with Western Province South have in their ranks in players like Kamil Mishara who is the only centurion of the tournament, Sanoj Dharshika, skipper Deshan, Nuwanindu Fernando Tharusha Fernando and Kavindu Umayanga while Southern (Mahinda), Kavindu Ediriweera (Mahinda), Sasith Manuranga (Rahula Matara), Ravindu Rashantha (Dharmasoka MV Ambalangoda), Thisara Dilshan (Devapathiraja MMV Rathgama), Kavindu Shohan (Sri Devananda Ambalangoda), Hasitha Rajapaksha (Manager), Y. Nishantha Kumara (Schools Representative), Bradman Ediriweera (Provincial Coach), Niel Kamal (District coach), Janaka Edirisinghe (Physio), P.I.W. Jayasekera (Coordinator) Province have players in the caliber of skipper Lakshan, Raveen Yasas, Ravindu Sanjana, Ravishka Wijesiri and Avindu Theekshana.
However with the two teams having advanced to the final with wins over better teams, it’s not going to be easy to predict the final outcome but there is no doubt that a closely contested game could be witnessed.