SM Jiffrey Abdeen: Wijesinghe - top cricketer in the making (2 Jun 1998)

2 June 1998

Wijesinghe - top cricketer in the making

by S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen

Chanaka Wijesnghe of St. Sylvesters College brought honour to the hill capital when he carried away the 'Most Outstanding Performer's Award' in the under 15 age group at the Horlicks Junior Cricket award ceremony.

This ceremony was organised by the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association and held at the BMICH recently with Sri Lanka's cricket Captain Arjuna Ranatunga as the chief guest.

Chanaka Wijesnghe's performance in the 1997 under 15 cricket tournament is stupendous as he scored 1288 runs includng seven centuries and also captured 25 wickets with his medium pacers.

He scored centuries against: 113 not out Vs Dharmaraja (20 fours, 3 sixers), 109 Vs St. Anthony's (15 fours, 1 six), 143 Vs Sri Sumangala MV (20 fours, 4 sixers), 144 not out Vs Vidyartha (10 fours, 5 sixers), in the regional league tournament which gave him a Bradmansque average of 254.5 at one stage. His other centuries were in the second round matches, 107 Vs President's College, Rajagiriya (14 fours, 3 sixers), 133 Vs Ananda (16 fours, 5 sixers) and 113 Vs St. Anthony's, Wattala. He had an overall average of 110 runs per innings in the tournament, helping his school to become champions.

With a performance like this, he was groomed into the first eleven team while being under 15 and he fared extremely well. He is a player with a lot of promise and he is all praise for his coach Mr. Roland Perera who has nurtured him from the age of ten, when he first spotted this talented cricketer.

Chanaka Wijesinghe relishes in playing the cut, pull, back foot and the check drive. He has four more years of school cricket in him and good guidance in his formative years, he should be a bright national prospect.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)