by Jatila Karawita
A superior team effort by the Colombo North Region outer XI enabled them to score an impressive 66-run win over the Kandy Region XI to pocket the Under-15 inter-regional cricket title in their Inter-Region Under-15 final which concluded at NCC grounds yesterday. The winners, who took the first lease of a perfect batting strip, totalled a score of 194 for 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs and did extremely well to restrict their rivals from the hill-capital to a total of only 128 for 9 in 50 overs.

During the Colombo North innings, Skipper Ishan Muthalif batted well to top score with a workmanlike knock of 42 which came off 57 balls, inclusive of six boundaries. Muthalif received solid support in the middle order from Terrence Fernando who chipped in with a score of 39 made in an equal number of balls and with seven fours. The two batsmen were also associated in a fifth wicket partnership of 90 runs at one stage when they were in dire straits at four down for ten runs in only the fourth over of the morning before these two batsmen came to Colombo North's rescue with a superb rearguard stand.

For the Kandy Region XI leg spinner and Captain Prasad Ranawaka bowled best to bag 3 for 29. Kandy Region XI, given an asking rate of less than four runs per over, never looked like topping the Colombo North total and eventually could muster only 128 with none of their batsmen playing a match winning innings. Sujith Perera top scored with an unbeaten 32 runs which also included four fours while Prasad Ranawaka made 26. Among the bowlers, right arm off Spinner Dinesh Chamara picked up 2 for 25 Colombo North. Thus, the Colombo North Region Outer XI, comprising of players from the Puttalam and Gampaha districts, ran out worthy winners of the Inter-Region Under-15 final of 1998 beating their counterparts from the Kandy region.

That Inter-Region Under-15 Tournament was conducted by the Regional Board with the assistance of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka.

Individual awards: 'Man of the Match' Ishan Muthalif (Colombo North Outer Region), 'Best Batsman' Terrence Fernando (Colombo North Outer Region), 'Best Bowler' Prasad Ranawaka (Kandy Region), 'Man of the Tournament' Ishan Muthalif (Colombo North Region) and Dammika Nirosha (Galle Region).

Chief Scores:

COLOMBO NORTH 194/19 (50 overs) Ishan Muthalif 42, Roshan Fonseka 39, Hadlee Jayawardena 18, Prasad Ranawaka 3/29, Manjula Herath 2/16)

KANDY REGION 128/9 in 50 overs (Sujith Perera 32 n.o., Prasad Ranawaka 26, Harsha Nanayakkara 13, Dinesh Chamara 2/25).