St. Sylvester’s looks well equipped than Vidyartha
Having come off second best in the two-day game at Pellekele, Vidyartha College will take on St. Sylvester’s College in the Mediwaka Trophy Limited Overs cricket match at the Asgiriya Stadium today. On form, and on personnel, the Sylvestrians look better equipped. But it would be good to note that the batting – apart from Hansamal Perera and Sivakumar Tyron – did not click. Vidyartha no doubt will concentrate their attack on getting rid of Perera as early as possible.
Skipper Sumedha Dissanaike under-performed in the Big Match. However, he is too good an all-round cricketer to fail again. Batsman such as Madushan, Samarananda, Prematilleka and Tennakoon will have to come good if the Sylvestrians are to put up a match-winning total.
The advantage for them is that over the past week they have been engaged in the 50-over tournament in which they won one and lost two. Kasun Navaratne, the captain, spinner Chanaka Ranaweera together with consistent all-rounder Isuru Weerasinghe are Vidyartha’s key performers. This is a format in which the Vidyartha lads can do well.
Last year’s game was a low-scoring one. The Vidyartha team was rolled over for 89 runs in 44.5 overs. The Sylvestrians made 90 for 4 in 35 overs.
St. Sylvester’s have won this trophy more times than Vidyartha. In 1989, the inaugural year, Vidyartha were 27 for 1 in seven overs, chasing 181 runs when rain came down in buckets. However, Vidyartha was not to be denied in 1992, as they registered a 3-wickets win at Asgiriya – their first – under the able leadership of Nalin Nanayakkara. That Sylvestrian side included Duncan Arnolda who went on to figure prominently in Division I cricket.