Joes enjoy dream start to cricket season

AT THE SCHOOL NETS

Joes enjoy dream start to cricket season

Chris Dhambarage

St. Joseph’s College with three Sri Lanka youth players and four top colours men in their ranks are hoping that their more experienced players would strike form and deliver the goods in the current inter-school under-19 cricket season.

The Josephians after a very successful season last time have made a steady start this year and are looking forward towards producing a repeat performance like when they grabbed first innings honours and also won the annual one-day encounter against the traditional rivals St. Peter’s College.

In fact they had a dream start to the new season where they pulled off a remarkable four-run outright victory from the jaws of defeat against D. S. Senanayake College on their home ground at Darley Road.

This was also their first win against D. S. Senanayake College since 2007 and the architect behind their success was the off-spinner and vice captain Priyamal Perera who returned excellent figures of six wickets for 54 runs.

The manner in which St. Joseph’s College turned the match in their favour was really outstanding considering the fact that at one stage they were down and out with D. S. Senanayake College well placed at 222 for 4 in pursuit of a victory target of 238 runs.

However in a dramatic turn of events St. Joseph’s College came back strongly to register one of the most thrilling victories in the recent past while dismissing their opponents for 233 runs with 14 deliveries still remaining in the second innings.

Sri Lanka youth cap Priyamal Perera certainly played a major role in this morale-boosting victory as he top scored for the Joes in the second innings with a fighting knock of 70 in addition to his heroics with the ball.

The elegant right-hander is in tremendous form having earlier hammered a sparkling 83 from just 66 balls inclusive of three sixes and nine boundaries against Thurstan College and also hit a run-a-ball 90 against Mahinda College Galle on Friday with one six and a dozen boundaries.

Skipper Dylan Fernandopulle is another dependable batsman and he showed his class by stroking a fluent half-century in the second innings of the game against D. S. Senanayake College while batting under tremendous pressure.

Middle-order batsman Sadeera Samarawickrema and Pathum Madushanka are two other top run-getters for St. Joseph’s College having made their presence felt in almost every outing this season.

In fact dashing wicketkeeper batsman Sadeera Samarawickrema had a good series against both the Indian Under-19 and Bangladesh Under-19 teams and also had the credit of making a top score of 83 runs in the third one-day match against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

But one of his most memorable innings was recorded in the previous Big Match against St. Peter’s College where he almost single-handedly carried his team towards safety while compiling a magnificent 127 in the first innings at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo.       

            

Spin will be the forte of the St. Joseph’s College bowling department with Malshan Rodrigo, Priyamal Perera, Trishan Thanuja, Aravinda Akurugoda and Yashan Samarasinghe all capable of coming into their own if provided the opportunities.

Incidentally fresher and left-arm spinner Malshan Rodrigo performed a unique feat last week when he became the first Josephian to claim eight wickets on his First XI debut in the drawn match against Thurstan College at Darley Road.     

Another newcomer Trishan Thanuja has also shown a lot of promise having produced some economical spells this season including a career best four wickets for 28 runs in the match against D. S. Senanayake College on his home ground.    

In addition opening batsman Duran de Alwis has also made a good start to his career and proved himself by stroking a valuable half-century in the second match of the season against Thurstan College.

The St. Joseph’s College First XI Cricket Squad:

Dylan Fernandopulle (captain), Priyamal Perera (vice captain), Sadeera Samarawickrema, Yashan Samarasinghe, Pathum Madushanka, Fabian Fernando, Duran de Alwis, Nayana Abeysekera, Trishan Thanuja, Shammi Seneviratne, Aravinda Akurugoda, Hashindra Perera, Suren de Silva, Brian Jayamanna, Kalpa Ravihara, Vinura Mendis, Kevin Cortling, Sandaruwan Rodrigo, Pieris, Thashan Perera, Kesara Kumarapperuma, Havin Perera, Avishka Fernando, Manik Gunawardena, Nisal Sooriayarachchi, Clevin Perera, Naren Gunathilake, Hashan Cooray, Jehan Daniel, Malshan Rodrigo, Janaka Deegodagamage (Head Coach), Anura Tennekoon (Cricket Coordinator), Prashantha Ranaweera (Master in Charge).

Upcoming fixtures:

October 31/November 1: v De Mazenod at Darley Road

November 8/9: v Maris Stella at Darley Road

January 3/4: v St. Sebastian’s at Darley Road

January 6/7: v Wesley at Darley Road

January 10/11: v Royal at Reid Avenue

January 17/18: v Trinity at Asgiriya

January 24/25: v S. Thomas’ at Mount Lavinia

January 31/February 1: v Richmond at Darley Road

February 14/15: v St. Anthony’s at Darley Road

February 21/22: v Ananda at Darley Road

February 28/March 1: v St. Benedict’s at Kotahena

March 7/8: v St. Peter’s (Big Match) at P. Sara Oval

March 15: v St. Peter’s (one day) at R. Premadasa Stadium