Electing to take the first lease of the wicket D. S. Senanayake MV made a modest 226 for 9 in a game reduced to 47 overs due to a slow over rate. They lost Muditha Maduwantha for 9 with only 13 runs on the board but a fighting 59-run second wicket partnership between Malintha Gajanayake (54) and Shashi Lafir (23), helped them to recover. D. S. Senanayake MV team was heading for a much larger total when Gajanayake was in full control of the Benedictine bowlers.
But things went wrong for DSSMV ever since Lafir was run out for 23, sacrificing his wicket to save more aggressive Gajanayake. Duminda Perera strengthened their middle order batting with a useful 25 before he was caught by Dinesh Silva off S. Perera for 48. Perera was the most successful bowler for Kotahena school with figures of 3 for 46.
The Bens too opened their innings on an unimpressive note when J. Saverimuthupulle was run out for five. But Hewage kept going from the other end at the end, he was unbeaten on 76, having struck two sixers and six fours. Ashley Fernando (42), skipper Dinesh Silva (44) and Calvin Perera (30) too made useful contributions as the Benedictines reached the target with 10 overs to spare.
This was St. Benedict's second win in the four-year-old series, having won the trophy in the inaugural year. D. S. Senanayake MV emerged victorious in the last two years.
D. S. Senanayake MV: 226 for 9 in 47 overs. (Shashi Lafir 23, Nalintha Gajanayake 54, Nalin Pradeep 14, Duminda Perera 48, Namal Abeywickrema 12, D. Alwis 17, Arshad Junaid 16 n.o., S. Perera 3 for 46).
St. Benedict's: 227 for 6 in 45.2 overs. (A. Fernando 42, Dinesh Silva 44, Calvin Perera 30, Pradeep Hewage 76 n.o., Dushantha Amaraweera 3 for 45).
Winners: St. Benedict's - Rs. 15,000.
Losers: D. S. Senanayake - Rs. 7,500.