Centurions Dasis, Ramiru break records to keep Royal ahead of Thomas

• Establish the highest partnership for the 5th wicket by either team as Royal amass 326 for 8
• Fall 25 runs short of erasing highest partnership for any wicket
• Dasis Manchanayake ends 27 year drought of a Royal captain’s century at the Big Match
• Ramiru joins select band of centurions on debut
• Akash Fernando 4 for 55; Kavindu Dias 3 for 58 pick of the bowlers for Thomians

What started as a dream for S. Thomas’, ended with a Royal party at the end of day 1 at the 144th Battle of the Blues at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds.

Proving it was the right decision to bowl first, the Thomian fast bowlers picked up three Royal wickets inside the first 9 overs with the crowds back after a two year drought.

The first to go was Rehan Peiris, who was caught down the leg-side by Senesh Hettiarachchi off Akash Fernando off just the 4th ball of the day. Nathan Caldera’s magnificent in-swinger shattered the stumps of the dangerous Sineth Jayawardena for 1, before Uvindu Weerasekara (3) holed out to deep mid-wicket as Royal were left reeling at 20 for 3.

Just as Ovina Ambanpola and Captain Dasis Manchanayake were putting together a partnership (43), Akash Fernando bowled Ambanpola for 30 (63 for 4). At lunch, the Thomians were on top with Royal struggling at 83 for 4 in 23 overs, but the pitch was slowly turning into a batting paradise.

After lunch it was the Dasis Manchanayake – Ramiru Perera show, dominating the Thomian bowling, where they added 106 runs without losing a wicket in 25 overs (189 for 4). Manchanayake and Perera were not out on 80 and 60 respectively – the partnership at 126 runs.

After tea both the set batters went on their merry way breaking record after record in the process. Manchanayake raised his century off 120 balls, with a boundary off Dineth Goonewardene. He became the first Royal captain to score a century at the Big Match since Anushka Polonowita in 1996. Ramiru Perera too reached his century with a boundary, off 168 balls.

By the time Manchanayake was bowled by Kavindu Dias for 137 (150 balls) with the score on 292, the partnership had registered as the highest for the 5th wicket by either team. The 229-run (296 balls) partnership had broken the previous Royal record of 165* by Vijaya Malalasekara and C.M. Fernando in 1963 and the Thomian record of 187 by P.I. Peiris and Geoff Wijesinghe in 1953. Manchanayake, who at the toss said it was a good toss to lose, had 17 fours and scored at a strike rate 91.33.

Royal lost three wickets after that, including the wicket of Ramiru Perera for 128 (186 balls) which included 15 fours and two magnificent sixes. Ramiru joined a select band of centurions on the first Big Match.

As bad light stopped play, Royal were 326 for 8 in 74 overs. For the Thomians it was Akash Fernando who bowled his heart out picking 4 for 55 in his 13 overs while the somewhat erratic Kavindu Dias took 3 for 58.