Sports

Formidable opponents DSS, Mahanama enter 18th Battle of the Golds

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/29

by Reemus Fernando

D. S. Senanayake College Colombo and Mahanama College Colombo may not have a long big match history but the two schools have strong performances to boast when the arch rivals meet in the 18th Battle of the Golds today and tomorrow at the SSC ground.

Both schools maintained enviable records during the tournament proper and ended up among the top ranked teams in their respective groups.While, schools with more than century old big match histories were struggling to avoid relegation to the lower tier or lower division these two schools have dominated the two groups they were playing in.

D.S. Senanayake captained by Gaviru Senhas were the champions in group ‘Y’ of the Tier ‘A’ tournament where S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia (over 140 years) and St. Servatius’ Matara (over 124 years) were the last placed teams bound to play relegation matches. St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa, St. Anthony’s Katugastota and Nalanda finished behind DSS this tournament. Incidentally, all of DSS’ four outright victories (Wesley, St.Sevatius’, St.Anthony’s and Maliyadewa) were recorded against teams in the tournament proper.

Despite playing only eight out of the nine tournament matches, Mahanama, skippered by Duvindu Ranathunga managed to finish as the runners up of group ‘X’ in the Tier ‘A’ tournament. Once again schools with rich big match histories finished behind them. Royal were among the last two teams in that group and are bound to play relegation matches, while Mahanama have advanced to the semi-finals of the Tier ‘A’ tournament with an outright victory against St. Anthony’s Katugastota.

For Mahanama skipper Ranathunga will lead the pace attack with Dulnith Sigera or Koojana Perera. In the spin attack left-arm spinner Inuka Karannagoda is the main strike bowler. Karannagoda is joined by fellow left-arm spinner Chamika Heenatigala and Rashmika Perera in the slow ball department.

Karannagoda will also play a major role in the batting line up. Sigera, Gimantha Dissanayake, Rashmika Perera, Koojana Perera and wicketkeeper batsman Eshan Withanage will form the top order batting line up.

D.S. Senanayake will have Pesandu Weerasinghe and Senhas opening batting. Senhas and one down bat Malitha Perera are their leading batsmen this season. Both have scored over 600 runs. Chenul Pinsara, Randisha Bandaranayake and Chanul Athale will form the rest of the top order bating lineup. Their tail-ender Dehem Nirmal has a remarkable batting achievement this season. Coming to bat and the night watchman, he scored a double century against St. Joseph’s

Akmal Fazly and Nirmal will share the new ball for DSS. In the slow ball department Randisha Bandaranayake is the leading strike bowler. Off spinner has over 40 wickets against his name. Left-arm spinners Chenuka Peiris and Shanal Binuksha and Senhas will further strengthen the spin attack.

There is no clear favourite at this edition. DSS have registered the only victory of the series so far.

All News Advertisement

Sports

Ganuka accomplishes rare feat

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

Ganuka Fernando accomplished a rare feat reaching the final of the Nepal J30 ITF tournament in Pokohora. He became the first Sri Lankan male player in more than a decade to reach an overseas final at the tournament held in Nepal.

‎The St. Peter’s College Bambalapitiya player finished as the runner up.

‎He is the first to reach an overseas ITF final after Sharmal Dissanayake accomplished the feat in 2013.

‎Sharmal has the credit of winning ITF tournaments in India and in Brunei. He also reached another final in India.

Sports

Unbeaten Seylan Bank retain basketball title

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/10

Thilina Walpola

After nearly three months of competition, the 33rd Mercantile Services Basketball League concluded with Seylan Bank being crowned as undisputed champions. The defending champions showcased their dominance with an unbeaten record cruising past all their opponents.

Seylan Bank started off the campaign by beating Hatton National Bank in a three point thriller with the final score being 58-55. They overcame Commercial Credit 59-47 and had a big win over David Pieris Motor Company 73-59.

In the semi-final, Seylan Bank overcame Commercial Credit by 13 points while the final was a rematch against David Pieris Motor Company and won comfortably by Seylan.

Epciba Washington Clay of Seylan was named the Most Valuable Player.

The Seylan Bank side comprised; Kamalene Mills, Kunchana Wijesiriwardena, Kindu Jayaliya, Benika Thalagala, Epciba Washington Clay, Hansini Maleesha, Nihari Perera, Sanduni Bollegala, Maleka Rafaideen, Bethani Liyanage and Malavika Ariyaratne.

The Seylan Bank team was coached by Chathura Rodrigo.

Latest News

Henry, Santner, Nathan Smith ruled out of rest of West Indies Test series

Published

2 days ago

2025/12/8

Priyan

Matt Henry is nursing a calf injury [Cricinfo]

New Zealand’s bowling spearhead Matt Henry (calf strain), seam-bowling allrounder Nathan Smith (side strain) and spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner (groin injury) have all been ruled out of the rest of the home Test series against West Indies.

Glenn Phillips, who joined the squad in Christchurch early as a substitute fielder, has officially been added to the Test squad for the remainder of the series, New Zealand Cricket confirmed. This after he proved his match fitness in the Plunket Shield before joining the squad for the first Test, and he could be in contention to be selected in the XI for the second Test.

In another bit of good news for New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell, who put in a long shift as a substitute fielder in the first Test, is set to be available for the second and slot back in as their middle-order mainstay.

Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell had already been sidelined from the second Test in Wellington after suffering a hamstring injury while batting on day one in Christchurch. Mitchell Hay has been added to the squad and could make his Test debut.

Also, a day after uncapped seamer Michael Rae was called up to the Test squad, Kristan Clarke, a seam-bowling allrounder from Northern Districts, was added to it. With Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke managing “return to play” protocols, New Zealand were left scrambling for last-minute replacements, with the Wellington Test set to begin on November 10.

Both Rae and Clarke were pulled out of the third round of the Plunket Shield. Clarke didn’t bowl for ND in the final innings against Otago in Hamilton, with rookie James Naylor stepping in as his replacement.

Clarke, 24, is uncapped in Test cricket, but was recently part of the ODI series against England as a replacement player after Henry had suffered a separate calf injury. He has now earned his maiden Test call-up as a like-for-like replacement for Smith.

“On the cricket field, I’m a bowling allrounder, you know, and I pride myself on trying to offer as much as I can in the game,” Clarke said in October after breaking into the ODI side. “I just want to be a good person around the group also and just offer as much as I can.”

Clarke has played 27 first-class games so far, taking 77 wickets at an average of 33 and scoring 893 runs at an average of 23.50. He was also part of a New Zealand A tour to Bangladesh during the winter. Though bowling is his primary skill, Kristian is also a capable batter and had notched up his maiden century in senior cricket, against Central Districts in the one-day Ford Trophy, in October.

Clarke hails from Te Awamutu, a small town in the Waikato region and played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup before rising up the ranks in New Zealand cricket. His brother Matti Clarke has also played for Waikato Valley in the Hawke Cup.

“Yeah, so [I was] born and raised in Te Awamutu, [and I] still live in Te Awamutu, still at home,” Clarke said. “I hold Te Amuru very dear to my heart – it’s a cool little town and yeah, quiet little place. Just sort of grew up through the cricket system there and then yeah, sort of just went from there.”

While Blair Tickner, who was the reserve seamer at Hagley Oval, comes into the selection frame for Wellington, there might be a toss-up between Rae and Clarke for a potential Test debut at Basin Reserve.

The first Test was drawn after West Indies, faced with a 530-run deficit in the fourth innings, held on for 163.3 overs to pull off a draw, with Justin Greaves (202 not out) and Shai Hope (140) their main men with the bat

New Zealand squad for second Test vs West Indies :
Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell, Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Michael Rae, Kristian Clarke

[Cricinfo]