JOSEPHIANS WIN LIMITED-OVERS ENCOUNTER BY 85 RUNS – By: Upali Obeyesekere
47th Encounter – Battle of the Saints Series at SSC Grounds
It was during Rev. Fr. Claver Perera’s tenure as Rector, St. Peter’s College that the limited overs cricket match between the Big Match rivals – St. Peter’s College and St. Joseph’s College was launched. Played on the 16th of March in 1975 it was the first such limited overs ‘Big Match’ among schools in Sri Lanka. St. Peter’s led by Bernard Wijetunga Jr. beat the Josephians led by Dushan Soza, in this short format of cricket between the two schools.
The Josephian-Peterite limited overs encounter earns the right to be called the ‘longest running Limited Over encounter in Sri Lanka among schools’ and played for the Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai trophy.
The 47th edition of this memorable encounter was played at the SSC grounds in Colombo on Wednesday, December 16, 2021. The match ended in a decisive
victory for St. Joseph’s over St. Peter’s by 85 runs. St. Joseph’s won the last two encounters in 2018 and 2019. With this year’s win the Josephians extended their wins in the Joe-Pete limited-overs series to 24, while the Peterites have won on 20 occasions. Two matches ended without a result, while one game ended in a tie.
Given this background, St. Joseph’s won the toss and elected to bat at the picturesque SSC grounds – a decision that
proved right judging by the result. However, the start of the innings was wobbly when opener Yesith Rupasinghe
flicked the ball to the safe hands of Peterite skipper Nipunaka Fonseka for a duck. Two balls later No.3 batsman HirunKapurubandara was out lbw. Peterite pacer Danal Hemananda accounting for both wickets. Then came a 36-runpartnership between Skipper Sheran Fonseka, 18, and Hiran Jayasundara, 58, that consolidated the Josephian innings.With Fonseka’s departure Jayasundara was associated in a match winning partnership with Mithira Thenura, 52, for 101 runs in 163 balls. A cameo by Dinal Anuradha, 30, contributed to a commanding Josephian total of 200 runs in 49.1 overs. Bowling honours for the Peterites went to Chamelkar De Silva 2/27 and Danal Hemananda 4/30.
St. Peter’s also had a disastrous start losing three top order batsmen in quick succession. Chasing a target of 201 runs
to win, opener Vishen Halambage, No.3 bat Lahiru Dawatage and Nimuthu Gunawardene were back in the pavilion
with three wickets down for 28 runs. The other Opener Shenal Boteju continued his form with the bat in the recently
concluded ‘big match’ with another solid innings of 48 runs off 59 balls. Boteju and Skipper Nipunaka Fonseka, 31,
held on for 69 balls but had little support from the other batsmen and St. Peter’s folded for 115 runs in 35.2 Overs.
Lahiru Amarasekara spun a web round the Peterite batsmen with a splendid spell of five for 36 in 10 overs. Apart from off-spinner Amarasekara’s five-fer, Yesith Rupasinghe and Deshan Senevirathne picked up two wickets apiece.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:
• Best Fielder – Sheran Fonseka (SJC)
• Best Bowler – Danal Hemananda (SPC)
• Best Batsman – Hiran Jayasundara (SJC)
• Man of the Match – Lahiru Amarasekara (SJC)
BRIEF SCORES
St. Joseph’s College 200/10 in 49/1 Overs – Hiran Jayasundara 58, Mithira Thenura 52, Dinal Anuradha 30, Bowling:
Danal Hemananda 4/30, Chamelkar De Silva 2/27.
St. Peter’s College 115/10 in 35.2 Overs – Shenal Boteju 48, Nipunaka Fonseka 31, Bowling: Lahiru Amarasekara
5/36, Deshan Seneviratne 2/14, Yesith Rupasinghe 2/17.
RESULT: St. Joseph’s College won by 85 runs.
TEAMS:
St. Joseph’s College – Sheran Fonseka (Capt), Yesith Rupasinghe, Hirun Kapurubandara, Hiran Jayasundara, Mithira
Thenura, Dinal Anuradha, Shenuka De Silva, Kenneth Liyanage, Deshan Seneviratne, Lahiru Amarasekara, Yenula
Dewthusa.
St. Peter’s College – Nipunaka Fonseka (Capt), Shenal Boteju, Vishen Halambage, Lahiru Dewatage, Nimuthu
Gunawardena, Vinuda Liyanage, Niman Umesh, Danal Hemananda, Shelon Rodrigo, Monil Silva, Chamelka De Silva
