The annual Saints Quadrangular of Canada (7th edition) was concluded at the Ajax Cricket Club grounds on 4-Sept. Sunday with Old Petes winning the Championship by beating the Old Antonians of Canada by 15 runs.
It all started off well with absolutely beautiful weather allowing to go ahead with this most popular cricketing event and the first semi finals between Old Bens and Old Petes kicked off the event on time. The second game as per schedule was between Old Joes and Old Antos.
Deputizing for skipper Ruvindu Gunasekera, John Mendis won the toss and elected to bat. It was all fire from the Canadian National player, skipper Ruvindu Gunasekera who went in at two drop and was unfortunate to be out caught in the deep in the last ball of the 20th over for a well compiled 89 runs which included 6×2 and 4×6 (the ball did not travel well due to thick grass on the outfield). John Mendis(20) and young Prushoth Wijayaraj (20) were the other contributors for SPC’s total of 164/4 in 20 overs. Chasing this, Bens came close totaling 149/3 in 20 and Petes ended the semi in winning note by a margin of 15 runs. For Bens, seasoned player Sriyantha Dematagoda (58*) Sujith 36, Narendran 33 tried their best to overhaul the Petes score but tight bowling kept the runs down and saw the Bens bowing down from the competition.
Then came the shock of the day with Joes announcing that their team was not available and awarding a ‘Walk-Over’ to the Old Antonians, thus putting them straight to the finals to meet Old Peterites. A break was taken and the Finals began at 3.00 pm, ahead of the usual time since there was no second semi being played.
Umpires MIKE HENRY & S. SHANTHIKUMAR, both International officials went in to the middle with the two skippers, Milinda (SACKOBA) & deputy John Mendis once again tossing-up the coin in favour of the Petes who decided to bat first.
The opening pair John Mendis and Roshan Wignarajah started off very steadily adding 72 runs for the first wicket and Roshan was the first to go for 26 and then came Skipper Gunasekera who was expected to go on a run spree. But spinner Kuga Pithchumuttu has his own plan in bowling at Gunasekera and had him stumped by flamboyant keeper Phil Navaratne (Kept wickets for all fielding sides) an unofficial record for a WK and Ruvindu went back to the pavilion for only 13 runs. Then came a very patient rescue mission by John who added valuable 46 runs enabling Petes to reach 137/3 in 20 overs, which was not a bad score for the Antos to chase.
Batting and chasing this modest total, they were well ahead with a score of 66/2 in the tenth over but soon after Ruvindu removed in form Milinda Ranaweera 23 and then saw batsman capable of finishing the game, Chamila Rajapakse being clean bowled to a ball which kept very low on the artificial turf for 17. It was all over then but John Perera still kept the hopes alive with a couple of boundaries but folded out for 122/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
OLD PETERITES winning by the same margin that brought the victory in the semi finals against Bens, by 15 runs. This was the seventh edition and with this the tally stands 4 wins to SPC and 3 to SJC. Bens and Antos are yet to claim the stakes of being ‘Champions’ in this SQ-Canada edition.
Score Card.
1st Semi Finals:
OLD PETES BEAT OLD BENS BY 15 RUNS.
SPC – 164/4 in 20 Over’s (R.Gunasekera 89, J. Mendis 20, P. Wijyaraj 20)
SNC – 149/3 in 20 Over’s (S. Dematagoda 58*, Sujith 36, Narendran 33)
BEST PLAYER AWARD – R. GUNASEKERA 89 (SPC)
FINALS:
OLD PETES BEAT OLD ANTONIANS BY 15 RUNS.
SPC – 137/3 IN 20 Over’s (J. Mendis 46, R. Wignarajah 26, Rujix Joseph 25*) Kuga Pitch 2/34
SACKOBA – 122/6 in 20 Over’s (M.Ranaweera 23, C. Rajapakse 17, John Perera 16) R. Gunasekera 2/22
AWARDS IN FINALS:
BEST BATSMAN – JOHN MENDIS 46 (SPC)
BEST BOWLER – R. GUNASEKERA 2/22 (SPC)
BEST FIELDER – P. NAVARATNE (SPC)
HIGHEST # OF 6’S – R. GUNASEKERA 6X4 (SPC)