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St. Joseph beat St. Peter by 5 wickets to regain the Rev.Fr Peter Pillai Memorial shield
49th ‘Battle of the Saints’ limited over the encounter
An all-round performance helped St. Joseph’s College register a 5-wicket win over St. Peter’s College in the 49th ‘Battle of the Saints’ limited over the encounter and regain Rev.Fr Peter Pillai Memorial shield worked off at SSC grounds, Colombo on Sunday.
Batting first, the boys from Bambalapitya were bundled out for 156 runs despite Nathen David’s lone cameo, and in reply, the Josephian’s achieved the target in just 40.2 overs.
Oween Salgado and Nathen David walked out to open the innings for Peterites, but their partnership was short-lived, with Oween’s being the first wicket to fall for just 4 runs.
In came one down batter Nimuthu Gunawardene. He too failed to hang on as he was caught behind Avintha de Alwis’ bowing to make things worse for S. Peters.
With the scoreboard reading 42-2, Rusanda Gamage joined Nathen David in the middle and the duo revived the innings to a certain extent with a 57-run partnership for the third wicket.
The duo smashed the opposition bowlers all over the park, where at one stage it looked like they would single-handedly bat the allotted 50 overs and take their team to a total of at least 250.
However, things changed quickly as Josephian’s had the last laugh when rising star Shevon Daniel got the breakthrough to send Rusanda (32) back to the pavilion when he was caught at the boundary in the 26th over, and St. Joseph’s gained back the momentum.
After the breakthrough, St. Joseph’s bowlers didn’t allow any breathing space for the opposition to settle down, as they continued bowling good lines and lengths to put constant pressure. Nathen David was the only batter to trouble the bowling attack, and apart from him none of the other batters posed a threat to the Josephian’s.
Nathen went on to score a fighting 79 ball 53 runs including 4 boundaries before they were bowled out for a below-par score of 156 runs inside 41.5 overs.
In reply, it was a walk in the park for the Joesphian’s as they achieved the target in just 41.5 overs.
Hirun Matheesha was the architect of the chase top with a blistering 50 runs off 59 deliveries including 5 boundaries and a six, while Sadeesh Jayawardana (27) and Hiran Jaysundara (30) contributed with useful knocks to take their team home comfortably.
Earlier, the 89th Annual ‘Battle of the Saints’ ended in a draw on 29 April at the SSC Colombo due to bad weather.
Brief scores:
St. Peters: 156 (41.5) (Nathen David 53, Rusanda Gamage 32, Avintha de Alwis 3-27, Lahiru Amarasekara 2-37, Yenula Dewthusa 2-18, Shevon Daniel 2-33)
St. Joseph’s: 158-5 (40.2) (Hirun Matheesha 50, Hiran Jaysundara 30, Vishen Helambage 2-25)
ශාන්ත ජෝශප් පිල කඩුලු 5කින් ශාන්ත පීතර පිල පරදවා ගරු පීටර් පිල්ලේ අනුස්මරණ පලිහ යළි හිමිකර ගත්තේය.
49 වැනි ‘සාන්තුවරයන්ගේ සටන’ හමුවීම සීමා විය
තුන් ඉරියව් දස්කම් හේතුවෙන් ශාන්ත ජෝසප් විද්යාලය 49 වැනි ‘සාන්තුවරයන්ගේ සටන’ සීමාසහිත ශාන්ත පීතර විද්යාලයට එරෙහිව කඩුලු 5 ක ජයක් වාර්තා කිරීමට සමත් වූ අතර කොළඹ SSC ක්රීඩාංගණයේ දී වැඩ කරන ලද ගරු පීටර් පීටර් පිල්ලෙයි අනුස්මරණ පලිහ නැවත ලබා ගැනීමට සමත් විය. ඉරිදා.
පළමුවෙන් පන්දුවට පහර දුන් බම්බලපිටියේ ක්රීඩකයෝ නේතන් ඩේවිඩ්ගේ හුදකලා ආරාධිතයා නොතකා ලකුණු 156කට දැවී ගිය අතර පිළිතුරු ලෙස ජෝසප් ක්රීඩකයෝ ඕවර 40.2කදී එම ඉලක්කය සපුරා ගත්හ.
Peterites සඳහා ඉනිම ආරම්භ කිරීමට Oween Salgado සහ Nathen David ඉවත්ව ගිය නමුත් ඔවුන්ගේ සබඳතාව කෙටිකාලීන වූ අතර Oween ගේ පළමු කඩුල්ල ලකුණු 4කට පමණක් දැවී ගියේය.
වන් ඩවුන් පිතිකරු නිමුතු ගුණවර්ධන පැමිණියේය. එස් පීටර්ස්ගේ තත්ත්වය තවත් නරක අතට හැරීම සඳහා අවින්ද ද අල්විස්ගේ දණ නමා පිටුපසට හසුවීම නිසා ඔහුද එල්ලී සිටීමට අසමත් විය.
ලකුණු පුවරුව 42-2ක් ලෙස සටහන් වෙද්දී නේතන් ඩේවිඩ් සමගින් එක්ව සිටි රුසඳ ගමගේ තෙවැනි කඩුල්ලට ලකුණු 57ක සබඳතාවයක් ගොඩනැගූ අතර ඔවුන් දෙදෙනාම යම් දුරකට ඉනිමට පණ දුන්හ.
ඔවුන් දෙදෙනා උද්යානය පුරා ප්රතිවාදී පන්දු යවන්නන් බිඳ දැමූ අතර, එක් අවස්ථාවකදී ඔවුන් නියමිත පන්දුවාර 50 තනි අතින් පන්දුවට පහර දී තම කණ්ඩායම අවම වශයෙන් ලකුණු 250 දක්වා ගෙන යනු ඇති බවක් පෙනෙන්නට තිබුණි.
කෙසේ වෙතත්, 26 වැනි ඕවරයේදී හතරේ සීමාවේදී දැවී ගිය රුසැන්ඩා (32) නැවත මණ්ඩපයට යැවීමට නැගී එන ක්රීඩක ෂෙවෝන් ඩැනියෙල්ගේ පෙරළිය ජොසපියන්ස් පිලට ලැබුණු විට අවසන් සිනහව ඇති වූ විට සියල්ල ඉක්මනින් වෙනස් වූ අතර සාන්ත ජෝසප් ක්රීඩකයෝ නැවතත් වේගවත් වූහ.
ප්රගතියෙන් පසුව, ශාන්ත ජෝසප් පන්දු යවන්නන් ප්රතිවාදීන්ට කිසිදු හුස්ම ගැනීමේ ඉඩක් ලබා දුන්නේ නැත, ඔවුන් නිරන්තර පීඩනයක් ඇති කිරීම සඳහා හොඳ රේඛා සහ දිග දිගේ පන්දු යවමින් සිටියහ. පන්දු යැවීමේ ප්රහාරයට බාධා කළ එකම පිතිකරුවා වූයේ නේතන් ඩේවිඩ් වන අතර ඔහු හැර සෙසු පිතිකරුවන් කිසිවෙක් ජෝසප් පිතිකරුවන්ට තර්ජනයක් වූයේ නැත.
පන්දු 79කදී හතරේ පහර 4ක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 53ක් ලබා ගත් නේතන් ඕවර 41.5ක් ඇතුළත ලකුණු 156කට අඩුවෙන් දැවී ගියේය.
පිළිතුරු ලෙස ජෝස්පියන් ක්රීඩකයින් පන්දුවාර 41.5කදී එම ඉලක්කය සපුරා ගත් අතර එය උද්යානයේ ඇවිදීමකි.
පන්දු 59කදී හතරේ පහර 5ක් සහ හයේ පහරක් සමඟින් ලකුණු 50ක් රැස්කළ හිරුන් මතීෂ ලකුණු 50ක් ලබා ගත් අතර සදීෂ් ජයවර්ධන (27) සහ හිරාන් ජයසුන්දර (30) ප්රයෝජනවත් දස්කම් දක්වමින් තම කණ්ඩායම සුවපහසු ලෙස ගෙදර ගෙන යාමට දායක වූහ.
මීට පෙර, අයහපත් කාලගුණය හේතුවෙන් 89 වැනි වාර්ෂික ‘සාන්තුවරයන්ගේ සටන’ අප්රේල් 29 වන දින කොළඹ SSC හිදී ජය පරාජයෙන් තොරව අවසන් විය.
කෙටි ලකුණු:
සාන්ත පීතර: 156 (41.5) (නාදන් ඩේවිඩ් 53, රුසඳ ගමගේ 32, අවින්ත ද අල්විස් 3-27, ලහිරු අමරසේකර 2-37, යෙනුල දෙව්තුසා 2-18, ෂෙවෝන් ඩැනියෙල් 2-33)
ශාන්ත ජෝශප්: 158-5 (40.2) (හිරුන් මතීෂ 50, හිරාන් ජයසුන්දර 30, විශේන් හැලඹගේ 2-25)
புனித ஜோசப், செயின்ட் பீட்டரை 5 விக்கெட் வித்தியாசத்தில் தோற்கடித்து, திருத்தந்தை பீட்டர் பிள்ளை நினைவுக் கேடயத்தை மீட்டார்.
49வது ‘புனிதர்களின் போர்’ என்கவுண்டரில் மட்டுப்படுத்தப்பட்டது
ஆல்ரவுண்ட் ஆட்டத்தால் புனித ஜோசப் கல்லூரி 49வது ‘புனிதர்களின் போரில்’ செயின்ட் பீட்டர்ஸ் கல்லூரிக்கு எதிராக 5 விக்கெட் வித்தியாசத்தில் வெற்றி பெற்றது மற்றும் கொழும்பு SSC மைதானத்தில் பணிபுரிந்த புனிதர் பீட்டர் பிள்ளை நினைவுக் கேடயத்தை மீட்டெடுத்தது. ஞாயிறு அன்று.
முதலில் துடுப்பெடுத்தாடிய பம்பலப்பிட்டியைச் சேர்ந்த சிறுவர்கள் நேதன் டேவிட் தனித்து விளையாடினாலும் 156 ஓட்டங்களுக்கு ஆட்டமிழந்தனர், பதிலுக்கு ஜோசபியன் அணி 40.2 ஓவர்களில் இலக்கை எட்டியது.
ஓவீன் சல்கடோ மற்றும் நேதன் டேவிட் ஆகியோர் பீட்டரைட்டுக்காக இன்னிங்ஸைத் தொடங்க வெளியேறினர், ஆனால் அவர்களது பார்ட்னர்ஷிப் குறுகிய காலமே நீடித்தது, ஓவின் 4 ரன்களுக்கு முதல் விக்கெட்டை வீழ்த்தினார்.
ஒன் டவுன் பேட்டர் நிமுத்து குணவர்தன வந்தார். அவிந்த டி அல்விஸின் குனிந்து S. பீட்டர்ஸை மோசமாக்குவதற்குப் பின்னால் பிடிபட்டதால் அவரும் தொங்கத் தவறிவிட்டார்.
ஸ்கோர்போர்டு 42-2 ஆக இருந்த நிலையில், நடுவில் நாதன் டேவிட்டுடன் ருசண்டா கமகே இணைந்தார், இருவரும் மூன்றாவது விக்கெட்டுக்கு 57 ரன்கள் கூட்டாண்மை மூலம் இன்னிங்ஸை ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட அளவிற்கு மீட்டெடுத்தனர்.
இருவரும் பார்க் முழுவதும் எதிரணி பந்துவீச்சாளர்களை அடித்து நொறுக்கினர், அங்கு ஒரு கட்டத்தில் அவர்கள் தனித்தனியாக நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட 50 ஓவர்களை பேட் செய்து தங்கள் அணியை குறைந்தபட்சம் 250 ரன்களுக்கு கொண்டு செல்வார்கள் என்று தோன்றியது.
எவ்வாறாயினும், 26வது ஓவரில் பவுண்டரியில் கேட்ச் ஆனபோது, ருசாண்டாவை (32) பெவிலியனுக்கு அனுப்ப, எழுச்சி நட்சத்திரம் ஷெவோன் டேனியல் திருப்புமுனையைப் பெற்றபோது ஜோசபியன் கடைசியாகச் சிரித்ததால் விஷயங்கள் விரைவாக மாறியது, மேலும் செயின்ட் ஜோசப்ஸ் மீண்டும் வேகத்தைப் பெற்றது.
திருப்புமுனைக்குப் பிறகு, செயின்ட் ஜோசப் பந்துவீச்சாளர்கள் எதிரணியை நிலைநிறுத்த எந்த சுவாச இடத்தையும் அனுமதிக்கவில்லை, ஏனெனில் அவர்கள் தொடர்ந்து நல்ல லைன்கள் மற்றும் லென்த்களை தொடர்ந்து அழுத்தம் கொடுத்து பந்துவீசினர். நேதன் டேவிட் மட்டுமே பந்துவீச்சைத் தொந்தரவு செய்த ஒரே வீரர், அவரைத் தவிர மற்ற பேட்டர்கள் எவரும் ஜோசபியன்களுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக இருக்கவில்லை.
நேதன் 79 பந்துகளில் 4 பவுண்டரிகள் உட்பட 53 ரன்கள் எடுத்து 41.5 ஓவர்களில் 156 ரன்களுக்கு குறைவான ஸ்கோரில் ஆட்டமிழந்தார்.
பதிலுக்கு, 41.5 ஓவர்களில் ஜோஸ்பியன்ஸ் வெற்றி இலக்கை அடைந்தது.
ஹிருன் மதீஷா 59 பந்துகளில் 5 பவுண்டரிகள் மற்றும் ஒரு சிக்ஸர் உள்ளடங்கலாக 50 ஓட்டங்களை விளாசினார், அதே சமயம் சதீஷ் ஜயவர்தன (27) மற்றும் ஹிரன் ஜெயசுந்தரா (30) ஆகியோர் தங்கள் அணியை வசதியாக வீட்டிற்கு அழைத்துச் செல்ல பயனுள்ள ஆட்டங்களால் பங்களித்தனர்.
முன்னதாக, 89வது வருடாந்த ‘புனிதர்களின் போர்’ மோசமான வானிலை காரணமாக கொழும்பு SSC இல் ஏப்ரல் 29 அன்று சமநிலையில் முடிந்தது.
சுருக்கமான மதிப்பெண்கள்:
செயின்ட் பீட்டர்ஸ்: 156 (41.5) (நேதன் டேவிட் 53, ருசன்டா கமகே 32, அவிந்த டி அல்விஸ் 3-27, லஹிரு அமரசேகர 2-37, யெனுலா டெவ்துசா 2-18, ஷெவோன் டேனியல் 2-33)
செயின்ட் ஜோசப்ஸ்: 158-5 (40.2) (ஹிருன் மதீஷா 50, ஹிரன் ஜெயசுந்தர 30, விஷேன் ஹெலம்பகே 2-25)
Cricket
Wellalage Dedicates Player of the Match Award to Late Father After Sri Lanka’s ODI Win
Sri Lanka all-rounder Dunith Wellalage produced a match-winning performance in the opening One-Day International against England in Colombo, guiding his side to a 19-run victory and earning the Player of the Match award, which he emotionally dedicated to his late father.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Wellalage revealed that disciplined execution was the key to Sri Lanka’s success.
“The skipper’s advice was to bowl in good line and length and keep the overs tight. Our plan was to build pressure with disciplined bowling, and by sticking to that plan, we were able to finish on the winning side,” he said.
After winning the toss, Sri Lanka posted a competitive 271 for 6. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara laid a solid foundation with a 50-run stand before England struck back with early wickets. The innings was then stabilised by Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage, whose crucial 88-run partnership helped regain momentum.
Wellalage credited Kusal Mendis for anchoring the innings.
“Much of the credit should go to Kusal. Thanks to his knock we were able to post a competitive total. My role was to support him and stay till the end. The plan was to score between 260 and 270, and thankfully we achieved that,” he explained.
Wellalage added late impetus with an unbeaten 25 off 12 balls, pushing Sri Lanka to a challenging total. England spinner Adil Rashid was the standout bowler for the visitors, finishing with figures of 3 for 44.
In reply, England lost Zak Crawley early, but a strong 117-run partnership between Joe Root and Ben Duckett brought them firmly back into contention. As the pitch slowed in the latter stages, Sri Lanka’s bowlers adjusted smartly and tightened their grip on the game.
“The wicket became a little slow towards the end, so the plan was to reduce pace and bowl good line and lengths,” Wellalage noted.
The strategy paid off as Pramod Madushan led the attack with three wickets, while Wellalage and Jeffrey Vandersay claimed two each, bowling England out for 252.
Reflecting on the emotional significance of the performance, Wellalage paid tribute to his father.
“The last few months have been very hard for me after my father’s death. His wish was to see me represent my country, and I dedicate this Man of the Match award to him,” he said.
Sri Lanka now take early momentum into the remainder of the ODI series as they continue their preparations during England’s 2026 tour.
Football
Abdullah Al Mutairi Bids Farewell to Sri Lanka Football After Contract Ends
Sri Lanka national football head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi has officially concluded his tenure with the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), bringing an end to a period widely viewed as one of progress and renewed belief for the national team.
The Kuwaiti coach confirmed the development via a Facebook post, stating that his contract with FFSL ended by mutual agreement. Reflecting on his journey, Al Mutairi expressed appreciation to everyone who contributed to Sri Lankan football during his time in charge.
“I would like to share that my contract with Football Sri Lanka has come to an end by mutual agreement between all parties,” Al Mutairi wrote. “I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone I had the honor of working with during this journey.”
Al Mutairi thanked Sri Lankan football fans for their unwavering support and praised the players for their commitment, discipline, and fighting spirit. He also acknowledged the efforts of the coaching staff and support personnel who worked behind the scenes to drive the team forward.
Special appreciation was reserved for FFSL President Jaswar Umar, whose trust and full backing, according to Al Mutairi, played a crucial role in the national team’s achievements. The coach noted that strong leadership from the federation allowed the team to grow both technically and mentally on the international stage.
During his tenure, Sri Lanka showed clear improvement in performance and competitiveness, recording notable victories against higher-ranked opponents and earning increased respect within the region. Enhanced tactical discipline, improved fitness levels, and stronger team unity were widely regarded as key areas of progress under his leadership.
One of the standout moments of Al Mutairi’s time in charge was Sri Lanka’s historic qualification to the second round of the AFC World Cup qualifiers, a major milestone for the nation and a significant step forward in its footballing journey.
As he departs, Al Mutairi expressed gratitude for the experiences and memories gained and wished Sri Lankan football continued success. While his chapter as head coach has come to a close, the foundations laid during his tenure are expected to leave a lasting impact on the national team’s future development.
Cricket
Team Green Clinch Women’s NSL T20 Title with Commanding Final Victory
Team Green were crowned champions of the Women’s National Super League T20 tournament after producing a dominant six-wicket victory over Team Blue in the final played at the P. Sara Oval on Saturday.
The championship triumph was built on a disciplined and clinical bowling performance, as Team Green dismissed Team Blue for a modest total of 95 in 18.1 overs. Oshadi Ranasinghe led the attack with an outstanding four-wicket haul, applying sustained pressure through the middle overs and preventing any meaningful recovery. She received strong support from Malsha Shehani, Kawya Kavindi, Nimasha Madushani, and Udeshika Prabodani, as Team Blue struggled to establish partnerships.
Team Blue found resistance through Chamari Athapaththu, who played a determined innings of 51 from 41 deliveries. Her knock helped stabilise the innings after early setbacks, but regular wickets at the other end stalled momentum. Once Athapaththu was dismissed, the remainder of the batting lineup was unable to provide support, leading to a rapid collapse.
In response, Team Green approached the chase with calm assurance. Despite losing a few early wickets, they remained firmly in control throughout the pursuit of the modest target. Nilakshika Silva anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten 36, rotating the strike effectively and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Oshadi Ranasinghe completed a memorable all-round performance by contributing an unbeaten 16, ensuring there were no late complications.
Team Green reached the target at 98 for 4 in 18.1 overs, sealing the title with 11 balls to spare. Team Blue’s bowlers attempted to apply pressure, but the total proved insufficient to trouble a well-organised batting unit.
The victory capped a successful campaign for Team Green, underlining their consistency and balance throughout the tournament, while Oshadi Ranasinghe’s all-round brilliance stood out on the biggest stage.
Brief Scores
Team Blue – 95 all out in 18.1 overs
Chamari Athapaththu 51; Oshadi Ranasinghe 4/17, Udeshika Prabodani 1/17
Team Green – 98/4 in 18.1 overs
Nilakshika Silva 36*, Oshadi Ranasinghe 16*; Devmi Vihanga 1/22
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