Kandy Sports Club registered a close win in their Nippon Paint inter-club league rugby Championship match by overcoming a fighting Army Sports Club by 21 (3 tries, 3 conversions) to 17 (2 tries, 2 conversions, 1 penalty) after heavy rain forced play to end in the fourth minute of the second half.
Army led the match 17-14 at half time and had the match been called off at that stage, Kandy SC would have ended up on the losing side as the rule states the team leading at the time the match cannot be continued shall be declared the winner.
But the match was called off four minutes into the second half after Kandy SC scored a try through Nigel Ratwatte for Thrinda Ratwatte to convert making the scores 21-17 in their favour.
The result was a shocker.
Due to severe water logging conditions and the ground-marking lines not visible at Havelock Park play was virtually unplayable at the time the match was called off.
It was a rare phenomenon that took place in the rugby League although in the past teams and spectators have witnessed lightning that has stopped play.
Army, who had a close 18-13 victory over Navy in a previous match, gave an excellent display both in attack as well as in defence in yesterday’s game.
Army managed to hold on to their nerves from the first whistle to gradually turn the game in their favour. The scoring was opened in the very first minute when full back Sudaraka Dikkumbura scored a fantastic try which was converted by fly half Tharindu Madushan Hettiarachchi for a 7-0 lead.
Kandy immediately made the equalizer when their winger Diluksh Dange scored a try and Tharinda Ratwatte slotted in the conversion in the 20th minute of the game to make the scores 7-7.
Then in the 25th minute of play, Army went into the lead through centre Danushka Thalwatte’s splendid try which was converted by Hettiarachchi and the scores read 14-7 in favour of Army.
Hettiarachchi took Army to a 17-7 lead when he fired across a 30 metre penalty in the 35th minute.
In the 39th minute of the game Kandy number eight Jason Dissanayake touched down for a try and Tharinda Ratwatte made the conversion to cut down the lead to 17-14 and both teams went into half time with Army leading.
Even after the turn-around the Army played in the same manner as during the first half to keep Kandy at bay but fly half and skipper Nigel Ratwatte scored a shock try in the 44th minute of the game and the conversion was put over by Tharinda Ratwatte and Kandy went into a 21-17 lead at which stage the match was called off by referee Kelum Sandaruwan.