Saveen, Charith spin Richmond to victory
Richmond crushed traditional rivals Mahinda by an innings and 26 runs in their 110th Battle of the Lovers encounter concluded at the Galle International Stadium yesterday and in the process recorded their 24th win of the series.
The architects of the Richmond win was their left and right arm spin combination of Saveen Nanayakkara and skipeer Charith Asalanka who in fact laid the foundation with a captain’s knock of 100.
The duo shared nine wickets between them as Saveen ended with impressive figures of 6 for 26 in 19.4 overs and Charith 3 for 12 from the 11 overs he bowled.
Richmond was set for the kill when play stopped for the lunch break as they put themselves in a match winning position at the end of the first session of play on day two.
The post lunch session belonged to Saveen and Charith as the Mahinda batsmen found the duo too hot to handle. Mahinda coming after the lunch break on 49 for 3 needing a further 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat.
But the Mahinda batsmen put in a pathetic display of batting, but credit cannot be taken away from the two bowlers as Mahinda lost their remaining seven wickets for the addition of only 27 runs being bowled out for a paltry 76.
Richmond kept up the pressure on their opponents having dominated the opening day’s play as they bowled out their opponents for a score of 173 and ended the day in a strong position of 204 for 3.
Richmond skipper Charith Asalanka who made a ton that included 12 boundaries and two sixes was associated in a record opening wicket partnership of 162 with Sithara Gimhan who chipped in with a 67.
The pair eclipsed the series opening wicket record partnership of 114 runs also set by two Richmondites T.H. Samarasekera and Harry Young way back in 1935.
Scoreboard
Mahinda 1st innings
Ishara Akalanka b Piyumal 21
Chamith Jayasekera
c Asalanka b Theekshana 12
Ravindu Menaka c Piyumal
b Lakshan 01
Tharuka Samarawickrama
b Asalanka 14
Gihan Dhanushka st Bimsara
b Theekshana 50
Sachika Udara b Nanayakkara 21
Suresh de Silva c Bimsara
b Theekshana 27
Hanshika Welihinda
c Gimhan b Asalanka 02
Pasindu Dilshan c Hewage
b Asalanka 00
Krishan Rangajith c Mendis
b Theekshana 12
Visitha Sammana not out 00
Extras (b8, lb5) 13
Total (all out 60.3 overs) 173
Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-37, 3-56, 4-56, 5-78, 6-136, 7-139, 8-139, 9-172.
Bowling: Chamod Piyumal 10-3-21-1, Dhananjaya Lakshan 6-0-30-1, Charith Asalanka 19-4-54-3, Avindu Theekshana 10.3-2-24-4, Saveen Nanayakkara 9-2-20-1, Thisara Bhanuka 6-0-11-0.
Richmond 1st innings (204/3 overnight)
Sithara Gimhan c Samarawickrama
b Rangajith 67
Charith Asalanka c Dilshan
b Rangajith 100
Kamindu Mendis c Welihinda
b Jayasekera 29
Wanindu Hasaranga
c Jayasekera b de Silva 22
Pasindu Bimsara lbw
b Dilshan 13
Chamikara Hewage c Dhanushka
b Samarawickrama 19
Saveen Nanayakkara
c de Silva b Dilshan 01
Dhananjaya Lakshan run out 00
Chamod Piyumal not out 21
Extras (lb1, nb1, w1) 03
Total
(8 wickets declared: 47/5 overs) 275
Fall of wickets: 1-162, 2-172, 3-204,
4-233, 5-233, 6-240, 7-241, 8-275.
Bowling: Pasindu Dilshan 16-1-80-2,
Visitha Sammana 3-0-14-0, Tharuka
Samarawickrama 3.5-0-24-1, Chamith Jayasekera 9-0-61-1, Suresh de Silva
10-0-56-1, Sachika Udara 1-0-6-0,
Krishan Rangajith 5-0-31-2.
Mahinda 2nd innings
Ishara Akalanka b Theekshana 16
Chamith Jayasekera c Hasaranga
b Nanayakkara 05
Ravindu Menaka lbw b Asalanka 08
Sachika Udara b Nanayakkara 15
Tharuka Samarawickrama c Mendis
b Nanayakkara 04
Gihan Dhanushka lbw b Nanayakkara 09
Suresh de Silva c Lakshan
b Asalanka 08
Hanshika Welihinda
b Asalanka 00
Pasindu Dilshan c Mendis
b Nanayakkara 01
Krishan Rangajith not out 00
Visitha Sammana lbw b Nanayakara 01
Extras (b5, lb4) 09
Total (all out: 51.4 overs) 76
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-28, 3-43. 4-49,
5-61, 6-63, 7-72, 8-75, 9-75.
Bowling: Chamod Piyumal 5-0-9-0,
Wanindu Hasaranga 4-3-1-0, Saveen
Nanayakkara 19.4-12-26-6, Avindu Theekshana 12-5-19-1,
Charith Asalanka 11-5-12-3.
The morning session of play on day two saw Richmond continuing from their overnight score going in for quick runs and adding a further 71 runs to end their innings with a score of 275 for 8 declared.