• U19 school cricket updates

St. Anthony’s College Kandy thumped Dharmaraja College by an innings and 76 runs in their season opener at the Katugastota Oval.

Dharmaraja 78 (40.2) – (Isuru Pannala 43, Kaveesha Piyumal 7/32) and 116 (48.5) (Isuru Pannala 45, Lakvin Abeysinghe 27, Bimash Vidujaya 4/14, Thisara Ekanayake 3/26, Kaveesha Piyumal 2/45)

St. Anthony’s 270/6 d (203/5 o/n) (69) – (Janith Rathnasiri 75, Thisara Ekanayake 72, Kevan Ramika 43, Januka Rathnayake 29, Shehan Marasinghe 2/39, Lakvin Abeysinghe 2/58)

Result – St. Anthony’s College won by an innings and 76 runs

Meanwhile hill country giants Trinity College Kandy beat St. Anne’s College Kurunegala by six wickets.

St. Anne’s 136/10 (71.2) – (Buddhima Nandasiri 20, Kushan Subasinghe 27, Tharana Wimaladharma 4/37, Malith Rathnayake 3/26, Wathila Udara 2/17) and 130/10 (48.4) (Chamith Sasenjana 42, Malith Rathnayake 5/45, Tharana Wimaladharma 2/37) 

Trinity 200/7 dec. (43.1) – (Dimantha Mahavithana 67, Jayavi Liyanagama 35, Dinusha Pieris 35, Shehan Kumara 5/49) and 67/4 (17.4) (Viduka Dammage 25*)

Result – Trinity won by six wickets

STC vs. WCC  

S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia were on a roll in their traditional encounter against Wesley College over the weekend. The century-old rivalry dating back to 1897 is played for the Sathasivam Trophy in honour of the cricketing maestro Mahadevan “Satha” Sathasivam – the only player in the world to captain three countries (Ceylon, Malaya, and Singapore). West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers once said: “The greatest batsman to walk the earth is Ceylon’s M. Sathasivam.” 

Thomian skipper Mahith Perera (103), who also excelled in rugby and soccer, put on a memorable fourth-wicket partnership of 200 runs with Dineth Goonewardena (104) after the hosts were reeling 44/3 at the Big Club Grounds. Dineth and Mahith also put up a mammoth 300-run partnership against St. Benedict’s a couple of weeks ago. 

Last year, Mahith Perera became the highest individual run-scorer in the history of the S.Thomas’-Wesley encounter with an unbeaten 152*, surpassing the man himself – the legendary Mahadevan Sathasivam, who while playing for Wesley in the year 1936, scored 142 runs at Mt. Lavinia against the Thomians. Ironically, this record was equalled 85 years later by Wesley’s Sahil Dias, yet again at the same venue in March 2021.  

The Thomians were pushing for an outright victory, but the lads from Campbell Park held on to survive and retain the trophy they won back in 2022 under Sahil Dias after 50 long years.

S. Thomas’ 322/6 d (80.4) – (Dineth Goonewardene 104, Mahith Perera 103, Akash Fernando 52*, Shakesh Minon 2/75) 

Wesley 220/10 (88.5) – (Linal Subasinghe 62, Brendon Fernando 57, Sanithu Amarasinghe 50, Akash Fernando 4/36) and 104/5 (f/o) (32) – (Brendon Fernando 38, Abheeth Paranawidana 2/30)

Result – Match drawn (S. Thomas’ won first innings)