Another inter-school traditional ‘big’ cricket match series will be heralded with the 49th annual cricket encounter between Thurstan College and Isipathana College taking place at the Sinhalese Sports Club grounds on the 24 and 25 of February.
Isipathana and Thurstan began their ‘big match’ series in 1964 when Jayaraj Perera captained Thurstan and S. de Silva led Isipathana. In the second encounter in 1965 played at the Colts Cricket Club grounds, Thurstan beat Isipathana under Lalith Peiris and the losing captain from Isipathana was Ana Saranapala.
In the 49 matches played so far, Thurstan has won 5 to Isipathana’s 4. The most significant wins for Thurstan came in 1990 when they defeated their opponents thrice consecutively (90-92). The captains at that time were Nishantha Dias, Vijitha Jayasundera and Mackenzie Perera. Since Perera’s win in 1992, Thurstan has still to taste victory.
Isipathana last won under the leadership of Krishantha Jayawardena at the P. Sara Oval in 1999 in a low-scoring match.
This year both teams will step on to the field in a positive frame of mind in an attempt to achieve a result after a passage of thirteen years.
However, on paper, the performances of both teams appear to be on par with Thurstan losing two matches outright, playing 13 and Isipathana with a not so impressive record losing 4 matches outright by big margins in their 16 matches played during the season. However, when it comes to a ‘big match’, the players have the tendency to give their best and this encounter should draw the old boys and supporters of both schools to witness an interesting two days of cricket.
The two skippers Sajeeva Salgado of Thurstan and Harith Wanigaarachchi of Isipathana are expected to play a positive role for their respective schools. Salgado is the only coloursman in the Thurstan side in his second year. He has been very consistent with his bat with an average of 54.3. He is a leading scorer in the school cricket arena this season, nearing the 1000 run-mark with four centuries and an equal number of half centuries. Salgado’s 72-ball 142 against Mahanama and the twin hundreds notched against Prince of Wales shows his capabilities. Besides skipper Salgado, Kavindu Kulasekera(521 runs) with two centuries, Ashan Wanigaratne (446) with a solitary hundred, Milhaj Jaleel (417 runs) with a half ‘ton’ and Ramindu Kumarasinghe (353) including a century has been doing the bulk of the scoring for Thurstan.
Among the bowlers, left-arm spinner Rajith Perera has stood out for the Thurstanites with a haul of 62 wickets. Jaleel who opens the batting, has also fared well as a bowler taking 33 wickets.
Thurstan, out of the 13 matches played, has lost to S. Thomas’, Mount Lavinia by 9 wickets and to Nalanda by an innings and 56 runs. They defeated Dharmapala by an innings and 56 runs.
On the other hand, Isipathana skipper Harith Wanigaarachchi has provided the backbone of his side’s batting with an aggregate of 876 runs with an average of 41.71 and a top score of 117 scored against Dharmapala, Pannipitiya and seven half centuries against his name. The other batsmen who have fared well are Pawan Anjana (400 runs) with a top score of 58. Sanka Thabrew (302) and Matheesha Ranaweera (321) with a top score of 67.
Orthodox left-arm leg-spinner Sidath Mallawarachchi has been Isipathana’s top wicket taker with 45 scalps. Off-spinner Kavinda Dananjaya is the second best with 33 wickets. Isipathana last won in 1999 and thereafter it has been a series of draws. The highest individual score in the series stands to the credit of Saman Nishantha of Isipathana in 2002 (150 n.o) . He surpassed the 146 n.o. by left-hander Kamal Mahendra of Thurstan in 1990.
The best bowling performance in the series is by left-arm medium-pacer Jayajeeva Karunaratne who took 7 for 28 in 1992. Isipathana’s K.L.S.K. Sirisena too took 7 for 79 in the 1967 ‘big match’
Isipathana (from): Harith Wanigaarachchi (Captain), Desha n Jayakumar (Vice-Captain), Pavan Anjana, Charith Rajapaksha, Sidath Mallawarachchi, Ravindu Jayawardena, Sanka Thabrew, Chenutha Wickremasinghe, Dihan Navishan, Malin Dias, Dilan Punchihewa, Kaminda Dananjaya, Salinda Ushan, Kelum Bastiansz, Matheesha Ranaweera, Ramitha Sandaruwan.
Thurstan (from): Sajeeva Salgado (Captain), Ashan Wanigaratne (Vice Captain), Minhaj Jaleel, Rajith Perera, Ramindu Kumarasinghe, Kavidu Silva, Kavidu Kulasekera, Nisala Maddusanka, Dulan Charuka, Achintha Kalpana, Avishka Pieris, Thimira Jayasinghe, Tharindu Silva, Pamoth Gunawardena, Sahan Hewavitharana, Charana Nanayakkara.
By – Sunday Observer
Best Wishes From – Isipathana College Online Information Centre Crew