Under 19 Cricket

During a weekend where no team went allout for an outright victory, Jaden Amaraweera’s unbeaten century and Abheeth Paranawidana’s six wicket haul were the individual highlights in the traditional Under 19 cricket matches worked off.

‎The Thomian players’ individual efforts came in their match aganst Wesley. With the match heading for a no decision, Amaraweera hammered an unbeaten 102 runs in just 78 balls. His knock included ten fours and seven sixes as the home team posted 144 for one at close. In the first innings, Paranawidana’s six wicket haul helped Thomians take a healthy first innings lead.

‎At Reid Avenue, Aveesha Samash missed a century by two runs as he became one of the five victims of Ramiru Perera in the first innings. Incidentally, the Joes stopped their first innings three runs behind the Royal total with three wickets remaining. But a result remained a distant reality.

‎There was no result at Ananda Mawatha as well despite thirtyone wickets falling.

‎Kithma Widanapathirana with ball and bat was the standout player for Ananda, while Dinul Wijesinghe and Ryan Gregory excelled for St. Anthony’s.

‎‎Match Results

‎‎Amaraweera scores century at Mount Lavinia

‎Scores

‎S. Thomas’ 292 in 79.6 overs (Jaden Amaraweera 39, Ludeesha Matarage 73, Aaron Kodituwakku 28, Reshon Soloman 56, Shanil Perera 33; Rashmika Amararatne 4/58, Rasheed Nahyan 2/54, Methnula Mayadunna 2/46) and 144 for 1 in 23.1 overs (Jaden Amaraweera 102n.o., Avinash Fernando 39)

‎Wesley 205 all out in 77.2 overs (Sehandu Athauda 55, Charana Malinbada 21, Lithum Senuja 31, Shamma Fernando 29, Kavindu Hettiarachachi 34; Abheeth Paranawidana 6/56, Reshon Soloman 2/20)

‎‎Royal 265, Joes 262/7 at Reid Avenue

‎‎Scores

‎Royal 265 all out in 78 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 28, Rehan Peiris 82, Yasindu Dissanayake 24, Manuth Dasanayaka 25, Shehandu Sooriyaarachchi 20n.o.; Nushan Perera 3/100, Vishwa Peiris 5/60) and 163 for 3 in 32 overs (Hirun Liyanarachchi 28, Udantha Gangewatta 36, Ramiru Perera 53n.o., Yasindu Dissanayake 37n.o.)

‎St. Joseph’s

262 for 7 decl. in 80 overs

‎ overs (Yenula Dantanarayana 30, Aveesha Samash 98, Dilpa Ruwanaka 55, Chamath Perera 21, Nushan Perera 29n.o.; Ramiru Perera 5/72)

‎‎St. Anthony’s 163, Ananda 151 at Ananda Mawatha

‎Scores

‎St. Anthony’s 163 all out in 68.2 overs (Praveen Gamage 21, Dinul Wijesinghe 65n.o., Ryan Gregory 21; Pasan Batugahage 2/22, Kithma Widanapathirana 3/58, Sharada Jayarathna 3/29) and 161 all out in 59 overs (Sanuka Kalpana 24, Sisal Hemaka 20, Sadew Amarakoon 28, Chamalka Gunathilake 28n.o.; Himira Kudagama 4/53, Kithma Widanapathirana 2/36, Sharada Jayarathna 2/35)

‎Ananda 151 all out in 40.2 overs (Kithma Widanapathirana 74; Ryan Gregory 4/52) and 14 for 1 in 3.3 overs‎

As Sri Lanka quick Dushmantha Chameera turned 34 on Sunday in Dambulla, the team management’s birthday wish was simple and singular: that he stays off the injured list for the next few months. You can teach a cover drive, coach the forward defence, or even fine-tune a leg-spinner’s wrong’un. But raw pace? That’s God-given. You either have it or you don’t.

Sri Lanka have produced a fair few quicks who can crank it up close to Chameera’s speeds, but what separates the Negombo-born speedster from the rest of the pack is accuracy. Hours in the engine room have honed that nagging line and length, turning him into a banker and making him one of the first names inked on the team sheet.

Chameera is now the second most senior member of the side after Kusal Janith Perera. When he burst onto the scene in Wellington in 2014 and rattled Ross Taylor with a 146 kmph thunderbolt, the script seemed written for a long and glittering career. Fate, however, had other ideas. Injuries repeatedly pulled the handbrake, leaving his international appearances sporadic and his career stuck in second gear.

The last 12 months, though, have told a different story. Injury-free and firing, Chameera has been a vital cog in Sri Lanka’s wheel, the go-to man when the screws need tightening.

His calling card is the death overs. Batters have to roll the dice at the back end and doing so against genuine pace is flirting with danger. In T20s, he is the enforcer tasked with choking free-flowing stroke-makers; in ODIs, he is the strike bowler.

Managing his workload will be key ahead of the World Cup Sri Lanka will co-host. There is little harm in wrapping him in cotton wool for the England ODIs, perhaps one game, maybe two, before unleashing him for the full set of T20Is and keeping him fresh for the main event.

Beyond that looms the ODI World Cup in South Africa next year, where extra bounce and pace-friendly tracks should suit him down to the ground. Sri Lanka would be wise to handle him with care.

Chameera’s stock remains high on the global circuit, having represented five different franchises in the IPL. At a time when fast bowlers are increasingly tempted to turn freelance and chase league riches, it speaks volumes that he has stayed loyal to the national cause. For Sri Lanka, keeping their strike bowler fit and firing could make all the difference between making up numbers and punching above their weight.

Rex Clementine in Dambulla ✍️

With scores of 74*, 135, 102 and 65* in his last four ODIs, Virat Kohli  seemed to be telling the world he was no longer willing to be dismissed unless he had reached three figures. This sequence seemed to be stretching into the new year, with Kohli batting on 93 and taking full control of a chase of 301.

Then, a familiar nemesis appeared. Kyle Jamieson has caused Kohli and India numerous headaches in Test cricket, and now he burst this first ODI wide open in the space of seven balls with the wickets of Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer.

Having been cruising to victory minutes earlier, India suddenly needed 59 off 53 balls with five wickets in hand and two new batters at the crease. And with Washington Sundar held back, nursing a side strain, one of them was the lower-order batter Harshit Rana.

A match dominated by India moved now to an exciting finish, and both Rana – who made a 23-ball 29 – and the hobbling Washington played their part in it, before KL Rahul put the finishing touches, hitting debutant Kristian Clarke for 4, 4, 6 to seal victory with six balls to spare.