Navod topples Manoj to claim All-Island top spot 

At the end of the 13th week of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest, with a staggering addition of 5448 votes, Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College claimed the top position of the All-Island Schools segment, pushing down Sukhitha Manoj of St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa. 

This was the first time after 12 weeks that the leadership position changed in the top division segment, as Navod took his tally to 7051, while claiming the best ever count of votes in a week in this year’s competition so far. The lead of 4191 will keep Navod in a comfortable position for quite some time, until he is potentially given a fight. 

In addition, the All-Island Schools segment created two more losers apart from Manoj, who now sits at second, above Nalandian Lakshitha Rasanjana. Naushan Rafeel of St. Anne’s College Kurunegala claimed the fourth position from fifth, pushing down Trinitian Abhishek Ananda. K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya of St. Anne’s dropped down to ninth from sixth as Yasitha Samararathne, Kanishka Ranthilakage and Ravindu Fernando raced to the top from the bottom half. 

Vishal Nagasena of St. Peter’s Gampaha continues to lead the Emerging Schools category for yet another week while Lithija Kalhara of Ananda Maithree NS Balangoda and Tanusha Sandaruwan of St. John’s College Nugegoda surpassed 2000 votes in style. 

Sathya Sadeepani of Devapathiraja College Rathgama remains as leader of the Girls’ Schools category, which was introduced to the ever popular competition in the country last season. 

Coupons will be published in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies, the Daily Mirror and DailyFT, and the two Sinhala dailies, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada and Sinhala Weekend, Deshaya. From this year, coupons will also come will out in the Tamil Mirror. 

In addition, Dialog Axiata’s online voting system through their official Online Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer (www.dialog.lk/cricket) is now live. Online registrations ended on 31 December 2018. 

Players who have represented their respective school in First XI cricket and with a tally of 400 or above runs or 25 wickets or above in the last season will be automatically eligible for the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018 competition. Schools have been categorised under three categories – the All-Island, Emerging and Girls schools, according to the segmentation process of Sri Lanka School Cricket Association. 

 

Results: Week 13 All-Island Schools 

Navod Paranavithana Mahinda College 7051 

Sukhitha Manoj St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa 2860 

Lakshitha Rasanjana Nalanda College 1295 

Naushan Rafeel St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala 695 

Abhishek Ananda Trinity College 586 

Yasitha Samararathne Dharmaraja College 345 

Kanishka Ranthilakage Ananda College 330 

Ravindu Fernando Maris Stella College 276 

K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala 253 

Nishan Madushka Moratu Vidyalaya 213 

Shehan Fernando St. Benedict’s College 211 

Mihisal Vidanapathirana St. Thomas’ College, Matara 161 

Pasindu Ushetti Maris Stella College 81 

Nuwanidu Fernando St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa 51 

Randheer Ranasinghe St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala 38 

Sandun Mendis Richmond College 26 

Dinitha Prabhanaka Devapathiraja College, Rathgama 17 

Pasindu Bandara Trinity College 6 

Kalana Perera S. Thomas’ College 5 

Shevon Daniel St. Joseph’s College 4 

 

Emerging Schools 

Vishal Nagasena St. Peter’s College, Gampaha 3567 

Lithija Kalhara Ananda Maithree, Balangoda 2296 

Thanusha Sandaruwan St. John’s College, Nugegoda 2270 

Chamod Sandaru Piliyandala Central 234 

Sachin Jayasinghe Royal College, Panadura 157 

 

Girls’ Schools 

Sathya Sandeepani Devapathiraja College, Ratgama 235 

Sithmi Nirasha Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda 38 

Nimesha Tharuni Marapola MV, Minuwangoda 27 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Minlaka Wimalaratne – 136, Humes Road, Galkwadugoda, Galle, 2. M.S.M. Shafni – 174/1, Nawalapitiya Road, Mariyawatte, 3. D.S. Siriwardena – 269/4, Shanthipura, Hokandara Road, Thalawathugoda, 4. Senaka Peiris – 7, Silva Mawatha, Nagoda, Kandana.