After being 53 for four wickets at one stage, chasing a paltry target of 139 to win, left handers Vidusha Jayasinghe and Roscoe Thattil combined for a match winning 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket as St. Joseph’s College beat Trinity College by four wickets and clinch the Inter School Under-17 Division I title in the final played at CCC ground On Friday

After restricting Trinity to 138 runs, it suddenly made to look a rather difficult task when Joes lost four wickets for just 53 runs with Trinity skipper Akila Jayasundara picking up two wickets to leave them struggling by the end of the 15th over.

But a defiant 64 runs partnership between Jayasinghe and Thattil who made Trinity spinners starve for wickets during a crucial phase, helped them come close to the target before both became victims to a diehard Jayasundara who waged a lonely battle.

While Jayasinghe faced 95 balls for his 37 runs (5x4’s), Thattil scored 35 runs off 58 deliveries. Their dismissals brought the Joes’ highest scorer of the tournament, Chathuranga Kumara to the middle who along with Supechala Jayathilaka kept their wickets intact to make it a four wickets victory for Joes. They achieved the target with ten overs to spare.

On a day where top performers made the numbers, spinners Thattil and Hemantha Jayasundara were the pick of the bowlers for Joes as they shared six wickets between them to restrict Trinity to 138 runs. Both bowlers had wicket-keeper Vidusha Jayasinghe assisting for two of their wickets. While paceman Chathuranga Kumara picked up two wickets, spinner Supechala Jayathilaka, their highest wicket taker of the tourney (32 wickets), was not among wickets. However Jayathilaka’s ten-over spell which had three maidens cost him just 19 runs.

Incidentally, their opposition’s paceman Sanjeewa Bandara, probably the highest wicket taker of the tournament with 36 wickets too had only one wicket in the match.

Roscoe Thattil was adjudged the man of the match for his good double.

N. Dikwella c de Silva b Kumara 39

K. Atugoda c Jayathilaka b Thatil 03

K. Jayasuriya st Jayasinghe b Thattil 04

H. Wanniarachchi c Jayathilaka b Jayasundara 09

J. Premasinghe c Jayasinghe b Jayasundara 36

A. Fernando st Jayasinghe b Thattil 12

A. Jayasundara c Jayasinghe b Jayasundara 08

S. Bandara run out 04

M. Sameer c Perera b Kumara 02

O. Jayasundara not out 05

S. Hettiarachchi not out 03

Extras: (2lb, 11w) 13

Overs: 50

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-45, 3-53, 4-69, 5-114, 6-122, 7-124, 8-127, 9-132.

Bowling: D. Dhambarage 9-1-31-0(5w), C. Kumara 10-1-27-2(2w), R. Thattil 10-0-24-3(1w), S. Jayathilaka 10-3-19-0(1w), H. Jayasundara 10-1-31-3(1w), D. Fonseka 1-0-4-0

K. Barnardus c Jayasundara b Wanniarachchi 24

K. Perera lbw S. Bandara 00

V. Jayasinghe bowled Jayasundara 37

N. Perera st Dikwella b Jayasundara 02

T. de Silva c Dikwella b Jayasundara 03

R. Thattil c Premasinghe b Jayasundara 35

C. Kumara not out 11

S. Jayathilaka not out 02

Extras: (6b, 18w, 1n) 25

Overs: 39.5

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-38, 3-43, 4-53, 5-117, 6-124

Did not bat: D. Dhambarage, D. Fonseka, H. Jayasundara.

Bowling: S. Bandara 4-0-26-1(8w), K. Jayasuriya 7.5-0-30-0(5w), H. Wanniarachchi 10-2-30-1(1w,1n), J. Premasinghe 8-1-21-0(3w), A. Jayasundara 10-1-26-4(1w).