Sri Sumangala College cricket team: Seated from left: Asela Perera (Head coach) Kavindu Gayantha (V.Capt), Vidusha Pieris (Capt), Raveendra Pushpakumara (Principal), Vishwa Lahiru, Priyankara Nandasena (MIC), Dinuka Hodakanda (Assistant coach). Standing middle row from left: Akila Wedamulla, Senira Wijegunasinghe, Manmitha Kahapalarachchi, Rasika Dilshan, Duranka Silva, Krishan Eranga, Mevindu Kumarasiri. Standing back row from left: Anuhas de Silva, Bihanga Silva, Dinal Weerasinghe, Sandeep Weerasinghe, Rusith Jayawardene, Niksha Iddamalgoda.
Moratu Maha Vidyalaya and Sri Sumangala College, Panadura will clash in their “Battle of the Golds ‘ annual 72nd big match scheduled to be played on March 29 and 30 at De Zoysa Stadium in Moratuwa.
The two day big match, which is the 72nd in the series, sees Sri Sumangala in the lead with eight wins to the seven by Moratu MV with the rest ending in draws.
The last win in the series was recorded in the year 2010 by Moratu MV when the side was led by Anuruddhika Kalhara while the Sumangalians’ last win was achieved 17 years ago in 2007 under the leadership of Iresh Pushpakumara.
The two schools have produced players who have gone on to represent the national side in the likes of Don Anurasiri former leg spinner later became national selector and former off spinner and present National selector Dilruwan Perera for Sri Sumangala and ace spinner Ajantha Mendis the former National mystery spinner and present National cricket selector and National test opener Nishan Madushaka from Moratu MV to name a few. Chandana Mahesh the Sri Lanka A player presently works as SLC match referee also a proud Moratu MV product. Former Sri Lanka A and Sri Lanka Board X1 paceman Ravin Wickramaratne is one of the best products of Sri Sumangala College. The former National opener Kaushal Silva also started cricket from Sri Sumangala later crossed over to S.Thomas Mt Lavinia and his father later Premadasa Silva done excellent job as a coach to develop Sri Sumangala cricketers. The former MCA President Nalin Wickrmasinghe is also a proud product of Sri Sumangala. Ravin Wickramaratne the Sri Sumangala former cricketer who played for Sri Lanka under 19 set up new big match record in 1981 as he scored 104 and took five-wicket haul including a hat trick and this record is unbroken up to date.
This season Sri Sumangala led by Vidusha Peiris have remained unbeaten in the inter-school tournament while Moratu MV, led by Mahitha Appuhamy, have undergone an outright defeat. But the Sumangalians, as mentioned, possess a well-balanced side and the scale is in favour of them.
The Sumangalians have six centurions in the side which shows their batting potential with Duranka Silva having scored over 500 runs and Sri Lanka Youth player Vishwas Lahiru, who made over 400 runs with two centuries each. The other centurions are Krishan Eranga, Rusith Jayawardena, who both have made over 400 runs and Kavindu Gayathra, while the bowling will revolve around Vishwa Lahiru and Mevindu Kumarasiri, who have taken 100 wickets between them.
On the other hand Moratu MV will depend on their top scorer Isuru Nidarshana, who have scored more than 600 runs along with Deneth Sithumina (500), Kanchana Nimshan (400) and skipper Mahith Appuhamy (300) in the batting department. Isuru Nidarshana and Nishitha Fernando together have shared 80 wickets between them and are the pick of the bowlers.
The two top records in the batting and bowling departments have been achieved by two Sumanglians with the best knock being 153 by Roshan Wimalasena achieved in 1986 and Iresh Pushpakumara’s eight-wickets haul being the best in the bowling which was achieved in 2007.
However the Sumangalians are having the edge and they cannot take the Moraliyans lightly as the two teams will be coming into the field to break the hoodoo of achieving a series win after 14 and 17 years respectively. This year’s Battle of the Golds is sponsored by Anunine Holdings, Naturub, Dialog, Super Fashion, Shopimo and Singer Sri Lanka with their unprecedented support. Both the big match and one day encounter will be telecast live on Dialog TV — ThePapare TV channel number 127, as well as a live stream on ThePapare.com and the Dialog ViU App.
The two day encounter will be followed by the 31st limited over match scheduled to be played at the same venue on March 31 and in this version too the Sumangalians are ahead with 15 wins under their belt to the 12 wins achieved by Moratu MV, who won it last year.
Dhammika Ratnaweera