With their top order batters now in terrific form, St. Benedict’s College are looking forward to bettering last year’s performance in the on-going Inter School Under-19 tournament.

Despite not recording a single outright victory in the third term, the Bens, captained by fifth year player Nisal Fonseka can certainly keep alive their chances to better the four outright victories they registered last year, as their top order bastmen have shown more commitment and a hunger for runs in the last few matches.

Asked about their plans, MiC Vivian Saverymuthapulle said that their aim was to register at least five outright victories, which would be one better than last year’s performance.

They have played five matches so far. In the season opener, the Bens recorded a first innings victory against Isipatana and then were beaten outright by Royal College in the second outing, which was followed by a string of tame draws, largely due to bad weather.

Coach N. I. C. Silva believes that they possess a formidable batting lineup and said that they couldn’t transform many first innings wins into outright victories, because of bad weather.

The team includes a number of players who featured in consecutive Under-17 Division I semi finals.

They amassed 289 for three, with left handers Sandun Sampath and Rukshan Weerasinghe scoring unbeaten centuries against President’s College, before the match was hampered by rain. A week before that, their first innings victory against Kalutara Vidyalaya was decorated by another left hander, Waruna Fernando, who clobbered a century.

The Bens’ most experienced player is skipper Nishal Fonseka, who has five years of First XI experience, although he is yet to come up with an outstanding performance.

Fourth year player Wanigasuriya is the pace spearhead, supported by fourth year player Waruna Fernando and second year players Heshan Ferdinandaz and Sachin Peiris. Apart from his medium pace, Wanigasuriya has also chipped in with useful runs and has a half century to his credit, while Fernando scored a century against Kalutara Vidyalaya.

The Bens have a strong spin department consisting of off spinners Eranga Ratnayake and Imal Fernando and leg spinners Dilshan Perera, Sandun Sampath and Shannon Patterson.

Left handers Roy Sheran and wicket keeper batsman Rukshan Weerasinghe are among the leading run scorers for the Bens, after five outings. While Sheran has scored consistently, aggregating over 250 runs in five outings with three half tons, Weerasinghe has an unbeaten century and an unbeaten half century to his credit.