Vidyartha College first XI cricket team
St. Sylvester’s College Kandy should have the edge over Vidyartha College in their 59th Battle of the Babes ‘Big Match’ to be played at the Pallekele Stadium on March 3 and 4 with play commencing at 9.45 a.m. each day.
The talk in Kandy is can Vidyartha break the 50-year-old hoodoo? They last won in 1967 under R.M. Lafir, the famous cricketer who played for Government Services. Vidyartha College started cricket in 1952 and St.Sylvester’s College in 1955. The two teams first met in 1955, and that was the first cricket match of St. Sylvester’s. Of the 58 games played so far the Sylvestrians have won 13 and Vidyartha 3.
This season Vidyatha is led by Ravishka Upananda, a fine stroke maker under whose captaincy they beat St .Anthony’s College Kandy for the first time. They are coached by Jaliya Weerasinghe.
St. Sylvester’s College who are led by Manjula Perera have not fared that well in their 13 games. They are coached by Sanjay de Silva. The match is played for a trophy in memory of Rev. Fr. Don George, who gave a big hand to start cricket at St. Sylvester’s. The trophy was first awarded in 1982.
The first match between these two schools played in 1955 at the Police Barracks matting wicket turned out to be a thrilling encounter.
Vidyartha batting first totalled 106 with Vernon Nanayakkara and Upasena de Silva taking three wickets each for 25 and 13 respectively. In reply the Sylvestrians were dismissed for 79 with S. Iddamalgoda making 33. Vidyartha in their second turn were bundled out for 83 with skipper Tony Direckze taking 4 for 32 and V. Croos 3 for 7. The Sylvestrians had to score 110 runs for victory in an hour. At the end of the match they were short by five runs with three wickets in hand,
The following year Vidyartha led by T.B. Wijesinghe (a top class ruggerite) secured the first win of the series beating St. Sylvester’s by an innings. St. Sylvester’s made 124 with Wijesinghe bowling pace taking 4 wickets for 37 and K. Bowatte 4 for 38. S.D.Rajapakse made 28 and H.S. de Croos 23. Vidyartha in their turn went on to score 255 with some superb batting coming from Wijesinghe 55, N. Navaratne 53, F.M. Farook 61, L.B. Aluwihare 23 and M. Keppitipola 21. Ferry Alexander Hidallarachchi, S. Stephen, I.M. Anwer and D.J. Suwaris took two wickets each. Sylvestrians in their second innings were bundled out for 90. Once again it was Wijesinghe and Bowatte who did the damage taking two wickets each with G.B. Diyawa also chipping in with two.
Teams:
St. Sylvester’s College (from): Manjula Perera (captain), Avindu Herath, Tusith de Soysa, Nimsara Attaragalla, Janakantha Rajapakse, Manoharan Pavitran, Sashika Viraj, Udara Yatawathura, Husindy Nissanka, Kanishka Jayasekara, Kavindu Munaweera, Chandula Jayakody, Thareesha Wickremaratne, Vinod Yasintha, Nadeera Balasuriya, Mohamed Reeza, Hiroshan Chandrababu, Jaliya Weerasinghe (coach), Parinda de Silva (MIC).
Vidyartha College (from): Rabishka Upanda (captain), Sahan Anwatte, Nimesh Ekanayake, Pulina Gunatillake, Nipuna Kumarasiri, Kasun Ekanayake, Kasun Karunatilake, Sashika Priyamal, Isuru Prabodha, Kevin Nimeshan, Tilina Bandara, Chathuranga Ratnayake, Gihan Jayasekara, Nethumal Vidanagamage, Medunaka Wijetilleke, Harindu Mahadeva, Sanjay de Silva (Coach), Ajith Weerasuriya (MIC).
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