(UTV|COLOMBO) – With both sides comprising Sri Lanka under 19 cricketers the 13th Battle of the Golds annual cricket encounter between Mahanama College and DS Senanayake College promises to be a high scoring game at the P Sara Oval today and tomorrow.
The past 12 encounters has produced only one winning result with 11 matches ending in draws. The solitary win in the series was achieved by DS Senanayake in 2014 under the leadership of Sri Lanka cap Binura Fernando.
Mahanama College will be led by left-arm paceman Pathum Boteju and DS Senanayake College by all-rounder, Pasindu Adithya.
[“Mahanama College Seated (from left): Kalum Gangodawila (Head Coach), Pubudu Sathyapala (MCDC – Co-ordinator), Pabasara Premadasa (O.B.A Acting CEO), Sidath Warakapitiya (MIC), R.A.R.M Ratnayake (Deputy Principal), Pathum Boteju (Captain), L.M.D Dharmas” url=””]
All-rounders Sonal Gamage and Pavan Ratnayake from Mahanama College and Muditha Lakshan from DS Senanayake College have represented Sri Lanka in U-19 cricket.
Mahanama’s captain Boteju has led his team to 2 outright wins and 8 first innings wins this season. Mahanama’s leading run scorers on whom they will depend heavily on are Pawantha Weerasinghe who has scored 926 runs with 3 centuries with a highest of 196, Pavan Ratnayake 591 runs also with 3 centuries and Sonal Gamage who has made 573 runs with 2 hundreds. The bowling is in the reliable hands of Gamage who is the leading wicket taker with 41 wicket that includes a best of 7/31, and on Boteju and Lahiru Kavinda who have taken 26 and 23 wickets respectively.
| D.S. Senanayake College First Row (from left): Tuwin Nilakshana, Rohana Fernando (Physio), Dinesh Weerasinghe (Head Coach), Upul Nishantha Perera (Asst. Principal), Pasindu Adithya (Captain), Chanaka Bamunuarachchi (Principal), Muditha Lakshan (Vice-Captain), Wasanta Kelekotuwa (MIC), Karthik Selvan (Asst. Coach), Kapila Munasinghe (Trainer), Methushan Kumara. Second Row (from left): Uvindu Chandrasiri, Teron Baskaran, Chamath Yatawara, Amitha Dabare, Anishka de Soysa, Sasika Chandira, Sandaru Wickramaratne, Abisheak Liyanarachchi, Zenol Jayasena, Tharindu Dissanayake, Ayantha de Silva , Maneendra Jayathilake, Lashen Gunaratne. |
DS. Senanayake’s skipper Adithya has guided his team to 5 outright wins and four first innings victories this season.
Adithya has scored 541 runs with one century. His team will be strengthened by the presence of all-rounder Muditha Lakshan who has represented the U19 Sri Lanka team and scored 1318 runs and left-arm leg spinner Methushan Kumara who has taken 79 wickets.
The one-day encounter which is played between the two schools for the Aravinda de Silva Trophy, which began the same year as the two-day match, has resulted in 4 victories for DS Senanayake, 7 for Mahanama with 1 match producing a no-result.
Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC will sponsor the match for 10th time.
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