9.3.2008
by Reemus Fernando
A long 36-year wait for a Josephian victory finally ended
yesterday, within a phase of just two and half hours of
play on the second day morning, as St. Joseph’s bowlers
ripped through a terribly off-colour Petes’ batting
line-up in dramatic fashion to record a memorable innings
and 42 runs victory in the 74th Battle of the Saints encounter
that was concluded, with two sessions to spare, at the P.
Sara Stadium, Colombo, yesterday.
While the first day’s heroes, Thisara Perera and Shameera
Weerasinghe, picked up two wickets each, 15-year-old big
match debutant Chathuranga Kumara joined the party picking
up four wickets to restrict St. Peter’s to 76 runs.
After Rohan Fernando-led St. Joseph’s recorded an
innings and 87 runs victory over St. Peter’s in 1972,
Ruwantha Fernandopulle’s team yesterday became the
first to taste a Battle of the Saints victory. Incidentally,
neither side had recorded a victory since 1978, the year
St. Peter’s last won the battle.
The second day began with St. Peter’s needing 118
runs to close the first innings deficit. The proceedings
looked quite similar to those of the first day morning as
Treshan Rajasuriya had opener Andry Berenger lbw for a duck
in his first over. Thisara Perera, who was vying for a hat-trick
of the Best Bowler’s Prize in their Big Match, had
Ruwan Wickramanayake caught by substitute fielder Jaan Jayasinghe
at slips to place Pete’s wobbling at 15 for two.
From 15 for two, it soon became 22 for three and, when Petes
were starting to reorganize, Fernandopulle called in spinner
Prabuddha Sankalpa who cut shot Petes highest partnership
to 22 runs. Sankalpa had opposition skipper Anuk Silva caught
by wicketkeeper Sahan Wijesiri for 22 runs. Silva was the
highest scorer on both innings for Petes. At one stage it
looked as if Silva could steer them to safety when he took
on Joes confidently. Silva scored two sixes and a four in
his short resistance facing 31 balls. His deputy Angelo
Perera was the next highest scorer having scored 21 runs
in 40 balls.
With the departure of Perera, who was brilliantly caught
by Sameera Weerasinghe off the bowling of Chathuranga Kumara,
wickets started falling in quick succession. 15-year-old
Kumara who bowled under the long shadow of his senior paceman
Thisara Perera in the first innings (one wicket) returned
fine figures of four wickets for 13 runs bowling five overs
and proved what an asset he could be to the Josephians in
future battles.
Spinner Shameera Weerasinghe, the leading wicket taker of
St. Joseph’s during the season, had the last two recognised
Petes batsmen, Akshu Fernando and Suranga Rodrigo caught
by Prabuddha Sankalpa and Sahan Wijesiri for a naught and
one run respectively. With Joes bowlers dominating the proceedings,
Petes late-order batsmen (last five batsmen) could only
add 13 runs to the total. And the last five wickets fell
within a space of 30 minutes.
Paceman Thisara Perera, who had picked up five wickets on
the first day, completed a hat-trick of the Best Bowler’s
titles in the Big Match. He was adjudged the Best Bowler
and the Man of the Match as well. Roshane Silva, who scored
his fourth consecutive half ton in the Big Match series,
was adjudged the Best Batsman. Dimuth Karunaratne, who was
the Man of the Match last year, had a consolation when he
was awarded the Best Fielder’s Title. Spinner Shameera
Weerasinghe was awarded the Best All-rounder prize for his
55 runs and two wickets taken in the second innings.
Scoreboard
St. Peter’s First Innings
S. Wijeratne b Rajasuriya 04
A. Berenger c Karunaratne b Perera 06
R. Wickramanayake c Perera b Sankalpa 18
A. Silva c Karunaratne b Perera 40
S. Rodrigo c Fernandopulle b Perera 00
A. Perera lbw Perera 00
C. Peiris run out Livera/Wijesiri 26
A. Fernando c Wijesiri b Perera 22
T. Silva run out Kumara/Sankalpa 00
C. Fernando b Kumara 07
V. Perera not out 00
Extras:
(5b, 3lb, 6w) 14
Total: (all out) 137
Overs:
45.3 (in 195 minutes)
Fall of Wickets:
1-15, 2-15, 3-67, 4-71, 5-71, 6-93, 7-122, 8-126, 9-131
Bowling:
T. Perera 15-4-39-5(1w), T. Rajasuriya 9-2-27-1(3w), C.
Kumara 7.3-1-24-1(1w), S. Weerasinghe 4-1-9-0(1w), P. Sankalpa
10-2-30-1
St. Joseph’s First Innings
D. Karunaratne lbw Wickramanayake 48
R. Fernandopulle c Wijeratne b V. Perera 02
A. de Livera b A. Fernando 12
R. Silva c Wickramanayake b Peiris 66
H. Silva c Rodrigo b V. Perera 32
T. Perera st Wijeratne b A. Fernando 12
P. Sankalpa st Wijeratne b A. Perera 15
S. Weerasinghe run out Rodrigo/Wijeratne 55
C. Kumara run out C. Fernando (dir.hit) 02
S. Wijesiri lbw Peiris 00
T. Rajasuriya not out 01
Extras:
(5b, 3lb, 2n) 10
Total: (all out) 255
Overs:
54.2 (in 239 minutes)
Fall of Wickets:
1-7, 2-30, 3-103, 4-173, 5-195, 6-217, 7-230, 8-231, 9-237
Bowling:
C. Peiris 14.2-1-62-2(2n), V. Perera 10-0-44-2, A. Fernando
9-0-44-2, C. Fernando 1-0-15-0, A. Perera 8-1-19-1, R. Wickramanayake
6-0-35-1, T. Silva 6-0-28-0
St. Peter’s Second Innings
S. Wijeratne c Perera b Kumara 13
A. Berenger lbw Rajasuriya 00
R. W’nayake c Jayasinghe (Sub) b Perera 04
A. Silva c Wijesiri b Sankalpa 22
A. Perera c Weerasinghe b Kumara 21
C. Peiris c Wijesiri b Kumara 05
A. Fernando c Sankalpa b Weerasinghe 01
S. Rodrigo c Wijesiri b Weerasinghe 00
C. Fernando c Wijesiri b Perera 03
T. Silva lbw Kumara 01
V. Perera not out 00
Extras:
(4b, 2lb) 06
Total: 76
Overs:
34 in 151 Minutes
Fall of Wickets:
1-0, 2-15, 3-22, 4-44, 5-63, 6-66, 7-68, 8-68, 9-76
Bowling:
T. Perera 13-5-19-2, T. Rajasuriya 5-3-09-1, D. Karunaratne
2-0-4-0, C. Kumara 5-1-13-4, P. Sankalpa 5-1-22-1, S. Weerasinghe
4-2-3-2
Umpires:
Dilshan de Silva, Ravindra Wimalasiri
Scorers:
Mahesh Liyanage, Cyril Nicholas
Courtesy - SNNI |