Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday, 18 March 2023 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Royal College yesterday took firm control of the 144th Battle of the Blues Inter-School Big Match with another dominant performance against their traditional rivals S. Thomas’ College at the SSC Grounds in Maitland Place.
Left-hander Dasis Manchanayake continued to rewrite history as he became the first Royal Captain to score a hundred and a half century in the same Big Match following his top score of 137 in the first innings.
Manchanayake, who promoted himself in the batting order, plundered 57 from just 49 deliveries inclusive of six boundaries as Royal reached 168 for four in their second innings to extend their overall lead to a massive 341. Manchanayake and Uvindu Weerasekera added 62 runs for the third wicket in even time to wrest the initiative after Royal had lost two early wickets in pursuit of quick runs.
Earlier, Royal decided against enforcing the follow on after they bowled out the Thomians for 153 runs, to obtain a good first innings lead of 173 runs.
Royal declared their first innings at the overnight score of 326 for eight and almost immediately justified their decision by reducing the opponents to 45 for three by the 14th over.
The Thomians shuffled their batting order but continued to struggle for runs throughout the innings and never looked like getting on top of this Royal attack, which had plenty of variation, accuracy and consistency.
Royal had little difficulties in polishing off the Thomian tail as they snapped up the last three wickets for the addition of just two runs with Sineth Jayawardena claiming two wickets in seven overs.
Bulan Weerathunga took 3 for 26, Ranuka Malaviarachwick, Sandesh Ramanayake and Sineth Jayawardena took two wickets each.
