Sri Lanka schools: St. Sylvester's figure in maiden cricket finals (5 Sep 1997)

Friday 05, September 1997

St. Sylvester's figure in maiden cricket finals

By S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen - Kandy South group correspondent

St. Sylvester's College, Kandy, will figure in their maiden cricket finals when they take on Mahanama Maha Vidyalaya in the finals of the Horlicks trophy schools under-15 Division II cricket tournament to be played at Police grounds, Kandy this Saturday and Sunday (September 6 and 7). Play commence at 9.45 a.m. on both days.

St. Sylvesters captained by Harsha Wijeratne have done extremely well to remain unbeaten in the tournament throughout and enter the finals. They beat Dharmaraja `B', St. Anthony's `B', Sri Sumangala and Vidyartha in the Group matches. In the second round they beat President's College (Rajagiriya), Prince of Wales College, St. Mary's College, Kegalle and Ananda College `B'. In the semi finals they beat St. Anthony's College, Wattala.

But the star of the Sylvesterian team is without doubt 14- year-old Chanaka Wijesinghe whose exploits in this tournament is something akin to what a young Don Bradman would have been doing at Bowraal as a schoolboy. He has rattled up 1115 runs in the tournament matches for a fine average of 128.33 as he had been dismissed only nine times. He has a seven centuries and four half centuries to his credit. His lowest score has been 65. Perhaps he is the only schoolboy to score over a 1000 runs in the under-15 cricket tournament in the island.

Apart from Chanaka Wijesinghe other capable batsmen in the side are Ranga Lihindipita, Harsha Wijeratne, Srimahal Mahatottearachchi, Kumara Dissanayake, and Geethika Dharmasena.

Chanaka Wijesinghe will spearhead the attack with Chamila Ratnayake, with Srimahal Mahatotearachchi coming in as the third pacie. The spinners in the side are Harsha Wijeratne (off spin), Sajith Ratnayake (left arm spin), Janaka Wettawa (left arm spin) and Kumara Dissanayake (off spin). Chaminda Ranaweera will keep wickets.

The team is coached by former St. Sylvesters, Central Zone and Moors SC cricketer Roland who has done a tremendous job in moulding the team into a fighting outfit. It must be remembered that it was Roland Perera who coached the St. Sylvesters team in 1994 which went on to win the Schools Cocoa Cola trophy Division I cricket tournament. He has achieved all this success without a proper playground even to practise. It is only now that a small playground is making its progress for the Sylvesters.

St. Sylvesters College (from) Harsha Wijeratne (Captain), Chanaka Wijesinghe, Kumara Dissanayake, Geethika Dharmasena, Srimahal Mahatotearachchi, Ranga Lihindipita, Vipula Nishantha, Nishantha Silva, Eranjan Bandara, Chaminda Ranaweera, Mahendra Mahawatte, Chamila Ratnayake, Rangika Panditharatne, Janaka Wettawa, Kumara Jinawansa, Chaminda Perera, Vajira Jayatillake, and Sajoth Ratnayake. (Coach Roland Perera, MIC Chandra Mahawattege, Principal Asoka Herath.).

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