Centuries galore as the 119th Lovers Quarrel ends in draw

by Reemus Fernando

The Lovers Quarrel Big Match has not witnessed many centuries. According to Big Match Souvenir details, there had been only 16 centuries from both Richmond and Mahinda in its history of more than hundred years. This year when the arch rivals met in the 119th edition at the Galle International Stadium there were three centuries as the match ended in a draw.

In reply to Mahinda’s 169 runs, Richmond reached 270 for six wickets declared as open batsman Chehan Subasinghe and Malsha Tharupathi scored centuries. Subasinghe was trying to anchor the innings when three of their top order batsmen failed to reach double figures. Subasinghe put on a fifth wicket stand of 149 runs with skipper Tharupathi. Subasinghe’s knock (in 206 balls) included just five fours. Tharupathi’s knock was a complete contrast as he hammered nine fours and four sixes in his 111 runs. The Sri Lanka Under 19 player’s knock came in 74 balls.

Mahinda had a deficit of 101 runs when they commenced the second innings. Stage was ideally set for someone to produce a match saving innings. It came from none other than their skipper Dinura Kalupahana who was the top scorer for Sri Lanka Under 19s at the recently held ICC Youth World Cup. Kalupahana top scored with 124 runs inclusive of 16 fours. He used 145 balls. He was involved in a huge first wicket stand of 172 runs with Tharusha Dilshan who made 63.

Kalupahana’s 124 runs is the third highest individual score by a Mahinda batsman behind P.H.K.H Ranasinghe’s 162 (1972) and Sirisena Hettige’s 155 in 1939. According to Mahinda statistics Kalupahana is the sixth batsman from his school to score a century in the Big Match in the 119 year old history.

For Richmond it was the century number 12 and 13 as they ended more than six-year wait for a century.

Tharupathi won the Man of the Match award, While Subasinghe walked away with the Best Batsman award, off spinner Kaveesha Induwara was given away the Best Bowler award. Mahinda wicket keeper Hareen Achintha won the Best Fielder award.