A brilliant spell of left-arm swing bowling by Kalana Perera of S. Thomas’ College Mt.Lavinia who took six wickets for 54 runs saw Royal College collapse for 158 all out on the opening day of the three-day 140th Battle of the Blues cricket encounter played at the SSC grounds yesterday.
By the close however the Royalist had fought back by capturing six Thomian wickets for 158 runs with off-spinner Kamil Mishara claiming three wickets for 32 runs.
S.Thomas’ are equal with Royal’s first innings score with four first innings wickets in hand and the game is interestingly poised going into the second day today.
Royal won the toss and elected to bat first but Kalana Perera made the first breakthrough for S. Thomas’ before Royal had opened their score when he dismissed left handed opener Isiwara Dissanayake clean bowled around his legs for a duck.
When the total read 42 Kalana got the dangerous looking right hander Ahan Sanchitha lbw for 15. Kalana had the Royal batting in tatters claiming the wickets of Pasindu Sooriyabandara brilliantly caught at gully by Shalinda de Mel for 7 and Bhagya Dissanayake caught by Dellon Peiris for 12. In between left-arm spinner Shanon Fernando claimed the wicket of Royal skipper Kavindu Madarasinghe caught at slips again by De Mel for 11.
Royal went to lunch at 87 for 5.
Soon after lunch they slipped to 87-6 when Titira Weerasinghe was lbw plumb in front by Kalana for a duck claiming his fifth wicket. In the very next over another set batsmen left hander Kamil Mishara was out caught at the same score by De Mel by a beauty from left armer Shanon Fernando for a well made 36 runs inclusive of six fours off 87 balls.
All rounder Kavindu Pathiratne joined by Kaushan Kulasuriya with the side struggling at 87 for 7 did a splendid repair job by putting together a stand of 65 runs of 105 balls to frustrate the Thomian bowlers. Left hander Pathiratne made a superb knock of 35 off 62 balls that included seven boundaries and with Kaushan took the Royal total to some respectability.
However when the score was on 152, Kalana the Sri Lanka under 19 left-arm fast bowler who bowled with sheer speed capped a fine first day by claiming his sixth wicket - getting the crucial breakthrough by breaking a threatening eighth wicket partnership trapping inform left hander Pathiratne.
Royal’ slumped further to 152 for 9 when Kaushan Kulasuriya was superbly snapped up by De Mel at first slip off Shanon for a well played 28 off 37 balls inclusive off five fours. They were all out for 158 when last man Gishan Balasuriya was caught by De Mel off Shannon for a duck.
In reply to the Royal score, S.Thomas’ were soon in trouble losing two wickets for 35 runs with openers Shalin de Mel falling lbw to Pathiratne for 21 and his partner left hander cum captain Sithara Hapuhinna brilliantly caught by Kaushan at slip off Kamil Mishara for 14.
Then fresher Ryan Fernando and Yohan Perera added a superb 97 runs for the third wicket before Ryan was brilliantly caught and ball by off spinner Mishara for a well made 60 off 66 balls with nine fours and one six. When the score read 153 S. Thomas’ lost their fourth wicket when Kishan Munasinghe was bowled by a beauty from Mishara for 8.
They lost their fifth wicket at 155 when inform batsman Yohan Perera went for a square cut to be caught behind by wicket keeper Madarasinghe off 16 year old left arm spinner Gishan Balasuriya for a well compiled 49 off 90 deliveries inclusive of nine hits to the rope.
Just before the close last year’s skipper Dellon Peiris was clean bowled by Balasuriya for 4.
Ravindu de Silva and Dilmin Ratnayake will resume the Thomian innings today.
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