by Reemus Fernando 

Equiped with a strong batting lineup and a formidable bowling unit Royal are the firm favourites when they meet arch rivals S. Thomas’ in the historic 146th Battle of the Blues starting at the SSC ground today.

In the Under 19 Division I Tier ‘A’ cricket  quarter-final, which served as a virtual dress rehearsal for this encounter, pitting the two rivals against each other for the first time outside the Battle of the Blues, Royal proved beyond doubt that they were the stronger team as they restricted the Thomians to 120 runs in the first innings.

Royal’s strength is their batting this season. Their strong line up inclusive of two Sri Lanka Under 19 players has topped the 300 runs mark on five occasions. Former St. Sebastian’s batsman Vimath Dinsara who has scored over 700 runs, skipper Ramiru Perera (over 600 runs), deputy skipper Rehan Peiris (over 600 runs), wicketkeeper batsman Isula Geeganage (over 400 runs), Thevindu Wewalwala (over 400  runs), Yasindu Dissanayake and open batsman Hirun Liyanarachchi form the batting lineup. Liyanarachchi hasn’t impressed much this season, except in the matches against Gurukula (34, 33), Maliyadewa (5, 71), Trinity (26, 34) and Prince of Wales (47) and he needs to come up with his best if Royal are to set up a strong base. He will open batting with Rehan Peiris.

Royal are fielding three pacemen. They had Ranuka Malaviarachchi and left-arm paceman Kuchila Ranmadala doing new ball duties throughout the season. In the quarter-final match against S. Thomas’, they found young Sehandu Sooriyaarachchi as effective as his senior counterparts. With two five wicket hauls in three matches he has booked his Big Match ticket.

Left-arm spinner Sandul Abeywardena is expected to play a lead role in the spin department. He played only in seven matches but was able to make an impact taking a match bag of ten wickets in the crucial encounter against Maris Stella. His performance in the ten wicket victory helped Royal secure a quarter-final berth. Thevindu Wewalwala and Ramiru are the other spinners.

Royal played 13 matches this season, won one match and suffered a solitary defeat (by an innings and eight runs) at the hands of St. Sebastian’s.

S. Thomas’ skippered by paceman Kavindu Dias are heavily relying on Dineth Goonewardene and wicketkeeper batsman Avinash Fernando in the batting department. Goonewardene has maintained an average above 40 runs, while all others have averages below 28. The Thomians seem to have found some solace late in the season with Mithila Charles striking form with a century against Ananda. But their dark horse is former St. Peter’s Under 15 player Reshon Solomon who featured only in two friendly matches. The Thomian authorities did not field Solomon this season as they had not registered the batsman under their name at Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association. The rest of the Thomian batting line up includes Sadew Soysa, Jaden Amaraweera and Sachitha Gunasinghe.

In the bowing attack Dias is set to share the new ball with Ayman Anzary, while left-armer Aaron de Silva takes major share of responsibilities in spin bowling. His work load has been doubled after Thomian selectors decided to go with a single left-arm spinner. While Aaron had a tally of 49 wickets in 13 matches, experienced left-arm spinner Abheeth Paranawidana had 39 in ten matches. Both played equally impressive performances in their only victory of the season over St. Anthony’s Katugastota. However Paranawidana has not found a place in the playing XI. Darien Diego is the other specialist spinner in the team. The Thomians’ performances this season look similar to their opponents as they have one win against one defeat but the prowess in the batting department give Royal the edge.

Trivia 

Dinsara and 122 runs

Sri Lanka Under 19 player Vimath Dinsara has scored three centuries for Royal this season. On all three occasions the former St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa player was either out on 122 or was unbeaten on 122.

Over 300 runs

Royal have scored over 300 runs on five occasions this season, while S. Thomas did that on two occasions.

Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025

Sri Lanka’s Buwaneka Goonethilleka advanced to the round of 16 of the men’s singles in the Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025, which is underway at the St. Joseph’s College Indoor Complex, Darley Road. Buwaneka, currently ranked 1032 in the world, will meet Malaysia’s Darrell Chew, BWF ranked 225, in the pre-quarter-final clash on the third day of the six-day international competition, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Asia (BA).

On Wednesday, Buwaneka outsmarted Henrikho Kho of Indonesia in straight sets, as the Sri Lankan regained his momentum after a long lapse. Unseeded Buwaneka proved his competence by handing Kho, seeded No.8 in the competition and 177 in the world, 21/7 and 21/15 to record a comprehensive victory on his way to reach the next level. His opponent in the pre-quarter-final, Chew, recorded a similar win, but was given a stiff competition by Indian Shantanu Sharma, before going down by 21/9 and 22/20.

Earlier, Buwaneka indicated his intention of reaching a podium finish, after defeating Siddgartga Mishra of India 2-1 in the Round of 64. Buwaneka claimed the first set 21/15, but Mishra recovered to level the game after winning the second set 21/14. The Sri Lankan put matters beyond his opponent’s reach with a resounding 21/9 win in the third set to move forward.

One of Sri Lanka’s hopefuls, Dumindu Abeywickrama, seeded third in the tournament, lost to Eu Cong Low of Malaysia 2-1 in the men’s singles round of 32 clash, which dragged beyond 70 minutes. Dumindu, BWF ranked 147, claimed the first set, but the world 531 ranked unseeded Low, made a remarkable comeback to win the remaining two sets by 21/13 and 21/15. Dumindu recorded a straight sets win against India’s Arya Bhivpathaki, after a close battle where the Sri Lankan scored 21/19 and 21/19.

Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) hosts nearly 260 players from 16 nations at the six-day competition which culminates on March 8. A total prize money of USD 5,000 is on offer at the Hundred Sri Lanka International Series 2025 which is sponsored by Hundred, LiNing, Mobil, McFoil and 3M.

Sankha Atukorale and Aneesha Lahir won the Men’s and Women’s singles titles at the inaugural ‘Pickleball’ Tournament held on the newly opened Pickelball courts in Negombo.

Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport played indoors and outdoors in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. It was invented in 1965 as a children’s backyard game in the United States, on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. In 2022, Pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington. Aspects of the sport resemble tennis and table tennis on a doubles badminton court.

With over 50 entries total of 145 matches were conducted under a variety of categories split into intermediate and advanced divisions.

The inaugural Pickleball Tournament was hosted by Pipinya Negombo & Jetwing Hotels

RESULTS: 

Sankha Atukorale

Men’s Singles

(Intermediate)

Winner –

Nishendra Ekanayake

Runner Up –

Enon Croos

 Women’s Singles (Intermediate)

Winner –

Aneesha Lahir

Runner Up –

Amani Haniffa

Women’s Doubles

  (Intermediate)

Winners –

Aneesha Lahir & Amani Haniffa

Runners Up –

Mehenaz Zaveer & Loushanie Ranatunga

Men’s Doubles

(Intermediate)

Winners –

Enon Croos & Enrique Engman

Runners Up –

Rajeev Fernando & Dilran Fernando

Men’s Singles

(Advanced) 

Winner –

Sankha Atukorale

Runner Up –

Janith Perera

Mixed Doubles

(Advanced)

Winners –

Sankha Atukorale & Mehenaz Zaveer

Runners Up –

Sahan Attygalle & Aneesha Lahir

Men’s Doubles

(Advanced)

Winners –

Janith Perera & Abishek Augustine

Runners Up –

Tom Armstrong & Sankha Atukorale