Kandy best CR and await date with Navy

By Shamseer Jaleel

Defending league champions Kandy showed their superior experience when they got the better of CR&FC at Longden Place last weekend in a tense game which they won 32-27. 

Kandy not only won but also earned a bonus point. They will now meet joint table leaders Navy in their next encounter at home. Meanwhile, joint table leaders Havelocks and Navy both won their matches with bonus points, leaving things unchanged with the table’s top 3.

 

Hard-fought win 

for Sailors

Navy secured a hard-fought 29-21 win over the Air Force outfit in a tense game played in Welisara. The winners led 17-8 at halftime. 

Navy managed to secure a bonus point in this outing as well. Chandimal and Tissera touched down for the home team with evergreen Thilina Weerasinghe adding the extra points. Air Force scored through their skipper Gayantha Iddamalgoda, with Nuwan Perera putting over a penalty. After the turnaround, the home team scored through their hardy hooker Dulanjana Wijesinghe and Chanaka Chandimal. Thilina put over one penalty as well in the latter half. 

But Air Force hit back through Centre Isuru Jayaratne, while Nuwan Perera slotted over three penalties to give a glimmer of hope to the Ratmalana outfit. The professional approach taken by the Sailors helped them remain firm under pressure.

Army outclass CH

Army, playing their first game at their home ground in Diyagama, outclassed last-placed CH&FC 43-8 in a one-sided affair.

Army scored through Nalaka Maduranga and Manoj Bandara with Ashan Bandara converting one of the tries.

CH cut the deficit through a Rohitha Rajapaksa penalty and a try from their skipper Manoj Silva.

Upul Abeyratne touched down to put his name on the scorecard. Hooker Sameera Wickramanayake had time for one more Army try to have the score reading 31-3 at halftime. 

After the turnaround Yoshitha Rajapaksa scored for CH. But Army, who had other ideas, scored two more tries through Bandara and Karunanayake to record a runaway win and add salt to the wounds of the CH players.

 

Havies prevail in second half burst

After an off-colour first half, Havelocks made a bold return in the latter half to beat the cops 29-13 with a bonus point win which assures them joint first place with Navy for yet another week.

Police dominated through much of the first half and early in the second but the Park Club hit back strongly later in the second to seal the game and clinch a bonus point.

Madushanka, Priyadharshana, Ishan and Hirantha scored the tries with Dulaj converting three of them and putting over a penalty as well. For Police, Rajitha converted all the tries, scored one himself and put over two penalties.