Dhammika Ratnaweera in Galle
Skipper Mohomed Faizer struck a fine 115 with 14 boundaries to help Richmond College post a challenging 281 for 8 against arch-rivals Mahinda in their 97th ‘Battle of the lovers’ cricket fixture which began at the Galle International Stadium Friday.

Richmond played only two sessions and maintained a good run rate before declaring at tea. However their opponents failed to make a positive reply and ended the day with 45 for 2 after batting as many as 31 overs. The lads from Mahinda have to get 136 more to avoid a follow-on.

Earlier Mahinda skipper Chatura Athukorala won the toss and sent Richmond to bat first. Openers Faizer and Aravinda Panditharatne gave the team a solid start adding 63 runs between them. Panditharatne the right hander scored 25 runs with five fours before he was bowled by Athukorala.

However skipper Faizer, the experienced left hander, played with confidence and helped build the teams innings. After Saranga Ratnayake was out for 11 with the total reading 79 Faizer and last year skipper Omesh Wijesiriwardana played fine strokes to take the team’s score to 154 for 2 at lunch. Faizer remained unbeaten on 75 while Wijesiriwardana remained undefeated on 29.

Wijesiriwardana, the right hander, was out for 30 after hitting four boundaries 30 minutes into the post lunch session. He fell to the bowling of spinner Tharindu Randima who took an easy return catch.

Wijesiriwardna’s dismissal also brought to an end a partnership worth 101 runs which he compiled with Faizer.

Faizer went on to reach his century with a single off Randima. But he was out for 115 when he spooned a catch to Athukorala off the bowling of Sanjeewa Priyachinatana. Priyachinatana took 2 for 47.

Thrindu Weerasinghe (34) and W.P.G Ravindra (17) added 50 runs for the fifth wicket. The Richmondites showed an urgency for runs after tea and succeeded in posting a challenging score.

Charith Keerthisinghe the left arm leg spinner became Mahinda’s most successful bowler and finished with 3 for 42 while Athukorala and Priyachintana shared two wickets each.

Mahinda openers Thilina Rajakaruna (12) and G.V.Roshan (6) were unable to provide a good start and both openers were back in the pavilion with the total reaching 24. Tharindu Randima (14) and Samith Jayasuriya (08) were at the wicket.

Scoreboard

Richmond first innings

A.Panditharatne b Athukorala 25

M.Faizer c Athukorala b Priyachinatana 115

S.Ratnayake c Weerawarna b Athukorala 11

O.Wijesiriwardana c and b Athukorala 30

T.Weerasinghe lbw b Priyachintana 34

W.Ravindra st Jayasuriya b Keerthisinghe 17

S.Kalpage c Liyanage b Keerthisinghe 03

C.Gunawardana c Randima b Keerthisinghe 08

Udaya Kumara not out 17

Extras (byes 1, l-byes 6, wides 3, n-balls 10) 21

Total ( for 8 wickets declared in 65.3 overs) 281

Fall of wickets 1-63, 2-79, 3-180, 4-202, 5-252, 6-252, 7-256, 8-281

Bowling Liyanage 7-1-37-0, Malinga 7-0-47-0, Athukorala 12-0-47-2, Weerawarna 11-2-27-0, Priyachintana 13-0-47-2, Keerthisinghe 8.3-0-42-3, Randima 8-2-26-1

Mahinda first innings

T.Rajakaruna lbw b Weerasinghe 12

G.V.Roshan c Panditharatne b Kalpage 06

T.Randima not out 14

S.Jayasuriya not out 08

Extras (l-byes 2, n-balls 2) 04

Total (for 2 wickets at close in 31 overs) 45

Fall of wickets 1-11, 2-24

Bowling- Wijesiriwardana 10-4-17-0, Faizer 6-3-8-0, Kalpage 4-3-5-1, Ravindra 6-4-2-0, Weerasinghe 5-3-8-1