The 145th Battle of the Blues cricket match concluded in a peaceful draw although Royal College secured the cherished DS Senanayake Memorial Trophy on the final day of their traditional match against S Thomas’ College at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in Colombo yesterday.
When the match wrapped up S Thomas’ College, batting in their second innings reached 229/4 in 86 overs, a lead of 248 runs.
History maker S. Thomas’ College batsman Dineth Goonewardena drives a ball to the boundary during his innings of 74 that made him join a select club of players to score half centuries in both innings of the Battle of the Blues. He made 50 in the first innings (Pix: Sudath Nishantha)
S Thomas’ with a slim first innings lead of 19 runs, adopted a cautious approach in their second innings as they added only 60 runs in 135 minutes with Dineth Goonewardene playing a steady innings in the second session.
Royal College, resuming from their overnight score of 234/7, added another 45 runs losing two more wickets with S Dharmaratne contributing a commendable 41.
Following Royal College’s declaration of their first innings at 278/9 in the morning session, the Thomians commenced their second innings and were 37-1 at the lunch break, having lost Bulankulame’s wicket.
The game progressed slowly during the pre and post lunch sessions as the Thomians apparently put up shutters playing negatively for a draw despite the onus being on them to force a result.
Left-handed Dineth Goonewardene got a second chance at 31 when the Royal wicket-keeper missed a stumping opportunity off the bowling of spinner Bandara as the Thomians reached 97 for 2 at tea making just 60 runs off 30 overs in the session after lunch with the in-form batter Mahith Perera also playing safe.
After the tea break Goonewardene reached his fifty after a making a half century in the first innings as well that came in as many as 187 balls.
This achievement made him the seventh batsman in the 145-year history of the contest to score half centuries in both innings of the match.
Gunawardene was finally out for 74 made off 210 balls giving a return catch to Ramiru Perera ending the third-wicket partnership of 91 runs with skipper Mahith Perera.
In his final appearance Mahith Perera scored his only half century (63) in six appearances at the crease in the Battle of the Blues.
