Stellar all-round performance by Old Royalists – Qatar helps claim easy victory against Old Thomians

Monday, 8 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

DOHA: The Old Royalists of Qatar outplayed the Old Thomians of Qatar by 31 runs in their annual cricket encounter. This was the very first occasion the Old Royalists of Qatar were able to secure a victory in the series against the Old Thomians Qatar spanning six years Having won the toss, the Old Thomians elected to field first. The Old Royalists top order floundered but the depth of their batting line up saw their resilient middle order batsmen put on a gritty show, with the 7th wicket partnership between Mahir (24 runs) and Suranga (21 runs not out) as well as an 8th wicket unbroken partnership between Suranga and Harsha (20 runs not out) helping them reach 130 runs in their allotted 15 overs.

Qatar Cricket Match Right from the outset, the Old Thomians were hampered in their run chase by an aggressive Old Royalist bowling attack managed exceptionally well by their captain Niroshan who made bowling changes resulting in wickets being taken at regular intervals. The stalling of their innings saw the Old Thomians falling well short of the target, struggling to secure just 99 runs for the loss of 9 wickets at the end of 15 overs. Niroshan, the Captain of the Old Royalists, was ecstatic at their emphatic triumph after a five-year wait, saying: “It’s an amazing feeling to be able to clinch this victory and it has been an honour to lead such an exceptional team. Our bowlers made all the difference, especially Umesh with his three wicket haul for just 22 and Madu Jay’s two wicket bust of fast paced swing bowling conceding just 20 runs unsettling the Thomian batsmen getting the ball to swing extensively. Our late order batsmen’s showed great resolve and real team spirit lifting the team right till the end to see us reach a competitive score.” Both teams featured past stars of caliber of Dharshan Bodiyabaduge, Suresh Bulankulame and Dilshan Gunawardena from S. Thomas’ and Tharaka Kottehewa, Suranga Lokubalasuriya from Royal. Veteran aviation industry personality, Fawzan Fareid, Manager Sri Lanka Sales for SriLankan Airlines, graced the occasion as the chief Guest, giving away the awards to the triumphant Old Royalists team with great pride as an eminent old Royalist himself. Scorecard Old Royalists Qatar 130 for 8 (Mahir 24, Suranga 21*, Harsha 20*, Manjula 4 for 11) beat Old Thomians Qatar 99 for 9 (Dilshan 20, Umesh 3 for 22, Madu 2 for 20) by 31 runs.