Sri Lanka: Good cricket expected in St. Sylvester's - Vidyartha final (3 January 1999)

3 January 1999

Sri Lanka: Good cricket expected in St. Sylvester's - Vidyartha final

By S M Jiffrey Abdeen

Good cricket is in store when the traditional rivals St. Sylvester's College, Kandy take on a determined Vidyartha College in the final of the inaugural Yasaratne Tennakoon Memorial Trophy Kandy Schools limited over cricket tournament match organised by the Kandy Regional Cricket Board which will be played at the Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy today (January 3) commencing at 9.45 a.m.

This tournament was co-sponsored by Mr. Tillina Tennakoon - People's Alliance Chief Organiser for the Senkadagala electorate who is the main sponsor and the final partly by Mr. A.L.G. Leuke - Chairman, Sevana Land (Pvt.) Limited. It is commendable that the Kandy Regional Cricket Board has embarked on a tournament of this nature - being the forerunner the schools cricket season which get under way this weekend.

President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala will be the chief guest at the final with Deputy Minister of Labour Mr. Janaka Tennakoon as the guest of honour.

Due to the uncertain state of the weather the final will be restricted to 40 overs per side and in case of weather interrupting play, the result will be decided on the overall run-rate of the side batting first and the first fifteen overs of the side batting second. Mr. David Karunaratne will be the match referee. In the event of no result, the two teams will be declared joint champions.

Both Vidyartha and St. Sylvester's did exceedingly well to enter the final, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals providing some shock results. St. Sylvester's beat Wickremabahu Central College and Trinity College to enter the final. Vidyartha College overcame Sri Sumangala College and St. Anthony's College.

The main attraction in this match will be two skippers Ranga Dissanayake of St. Sylvester's and Sarath Ranaweera of Vidyartha College who were the match winners for the respective teams in the two matches they played. Both stand a very good chance of being adjudged the man of the series. Both are spinners and very consistent batsmen. Therefore both teams will expect a good performance from both these players.

Ranga Dissanayake (Captain), Zahran Hajireen, Arosha Perera, Chanaka Wijesinghe, Thilantha Wijesinghe, Kapila Ratnayake, Harsha Wijeratne, Sirimaha Mahatotarachchi, Suranga Prematillake, Abdul Basith, Jaliya Weerasinghe, Kelum Konara, P. Athauda, Chaminda Ranaweera.

Sarath Ranaweera (Captain), Dasun Jayakoddy, Daminda Ranaweera, Ranil Bandara, Sampath Hewawitharana, K.G. Ranjith, Kelakoralagedera Hewawitharne, Gayantha Jayakoddy, Sanjaya Nanayakkara, Diliepa Wanasinghe, Sujith Perera, Sanjeewa Ahangama, Thamila Liyanage, Rasika Wijesinghe, Chamara Ranasinghe, Shaminda Jayawardena Sudharma Senanayake, Ramesh Suriyampola.

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