Schoolboy/Schoolgirl Cricketers dreams about to come true

Selections for the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 were made by an independent panel headed by former National cricketer Jayantha Seneviratne at the NCC Auditorium in Colombo. 

The Selection Panel comprised Carlton Bernadus (Panel Secretary), Aubrey Kuruppu (Cricket Commentator/Sports Journalist), Upul Sumathipala (Past Cricketer), Lakshman Ranasinghe (Former Cricketer/Sports Journalist), Rohitha Kottahachchi (National Umpire), Daminda Cooray [President – Association of Cricket Umpires (ACU)], Harsha Perera (Vice President – ACU), Thassim Junkeer (Assignment Secretary – ACU), Maurice De La Zilwa (ExCo – ACU), D.M.M.A.D. Dissanayake (ExCo/Provincial Representative – ACU). 

Winners under the categories of Premier Schools, Emerging Schools, Up-and-Coming Schools and Girls Schools were nominated, with the top three names for awards from each segment. 

The candidates who stood out from the rest, for the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year, are Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe of Nalanda College, Santhush Gunathilake of St. Peter’s College and Kavishka Senadheera of Trinity College. 

These three cricketers were mentioned for more than one award from the Premier Schools category. Nalanda skipper Manasinghe was also been nominated for Best Fielder, Best All-rounder and Best Captain. Manasinghe’s closest contenders are the all-rounder from St. Peter’s College – Santhush Gunathilake and Trinity College spinner Kavishka Senadheera. 

Both Gunathilake and Senadheera have been outstanding in their performances during the 2018-2019 Schools Cricket Season. 

Besides the crown title of Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019, the Premier Schools segment includes awards for Best Fielder, Best Wicketkeeper, Best Bowler, Best Batsman, Best All-rounder, Best Team and Best Captain. 

In the Emerging Schools category, for schools in the lower Division, two players from Piliyandala Central – Chamod Sandaru and Heshan Madushanka – and Karandeniya Central’s Samith Isuru are in a close fight for the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Emerging Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 title. This category has three nominees each for Best Fielder, Best Wicketkeeper, Best Bowler, Best Batsman, Best All-rounder and Best Emerging Team. 

The third segment – Up-and-Coming Schools – is for teams in the lowest Division of school cricket, with aspiring cricketers from the outstations and rural areas. However, the names that emerged are from teams closer in reaching the next level in school cricket. This category has awards for Best Bowler, Best Batsman, Best All-rounder and Up-and-Coming Provincial Teams from Western, Southern, Central and North-Western Provinces. 

In addition Dialog Axiata and the Sunday Times continue to encourage the Schoolgirl cricketers of tomorrow by rewarding their performances in the competitions they appear in. The core award is presented for the Best Team in which Devapathiraja College Rathgama, Ratnavali Girls School Gampaha and Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda are in contention. 

For the Most Promising Player award Kavisha Dilhari of Devapathiraja, Rathgama, Janadhi Anali of Anula Vidyalaya and Rashmi Silva of Rathnavali BV, Gampaha are nominated. 

Dialog 4G Special Awards 

With enthusiasm picking up, Dialog Axiata PLC, co-partners of the show, introduced a new set of awards for the ever improving awards ceremony, all related to their brand Dialog 4G and its main theme – SPEED. Two of the awards were based on the theme and the third on pure merit, for an outstanding performance that is not easy to achieve. 

St. Peter’s College All-rounder Santhush Gunathilake was the obvious winner of the Dialog 4G Fastest to 1,000 Runs. Kavishka Senadheera of Trinity College was the only name that came in for the Dialog 4G Fastest to 100 Wickets award. For claiming 10 wickets in an innings, Nadeera Ishan of Vidyaloka College, Galle was named the winner of the Dialog 4G Bowler. 

The gala awards ceremony is expected to take place on 25 September at the BMICH in Colombo, where the winners will be announced. This will be an unforgettable day for the schoolboy and schoolgirl cricketers, who will make the country proud in the near future. 

Nominees for Awards Premier Schools 

Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019: Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe (Nalanda College), Santhush Gunathilake (St. Peter’s College), Kavishka Senadheera (Trinity College)

Best Fielder: Amitha Dananjaya Dabare (DS Senanayake College), Adithya Siriwardena (Richmond College), Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe (Nalanda College) 

Best Wicketkeeper: Thanushka Dilhara Polgampola (Nalanda College), Shannon Fernando (St. Peter’s College), Sithara Hapuhinna (S. Thomas’ College) 

Best Bowler: Kamal Nanayakkara (Prince of Wales College), Kavishka Senadheera (Trinity College), Kalana Perera (S. Thomas’ College) 

Best Batsman: Santhush Gunathilake (St. Peter’s College), Nishan Madushka Fernando (Moratu Vidyalaya), Nipun Dananjaya Perera (St. Joseph Vaz College) 

Best All-rounder: Mohamed Imthiyas Slasa (Zahira College), Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe (Nalanda College), Muditha Lakshana (DS Senanayake College) 

Best Team: Thurstan College, S. Thomas’ College, Nalanda College 

Best Captain: Sandaru Dias (Thurstan College), Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe (Nalanda College), Sithara Hapuhinna (S. Thomas’ College) 

Emerging Schools 

Emerging Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019: Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central), Samith Isuru (Karandeniya Central), Heshan Madushanka (Piliyandala Central) 

Best Fielder: Ishara Maduwantha (Karandeniya Central), Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central), Pulasthi Anuradha (Kegalu Vidyalaya) 

Best Wicketkeeper: Janeth Kaushal (Karandeniya Central), Sohan de Livera (Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda), Ravishan Perera (Holy Cross College, Kalutara), Akash Akalanka (Piliyandala Central) 

Best Bowler: Heshan Madushanka (Piliyandala Central), Nimnaka Jayathilaka (St. Anthony’s College, Kandy), Ravindu Madhusanka (Karandeniya Central), Samith Isuru (Karandeniya Central) 

Best Batsman: Ishara Maduwantha (Karandeniya Central), Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central), Sohan de Livera (Sri Devananda College, Ambalangoda) 

Best All-rounder: Heshan Madhusanka (Piliyandala Central), Samith Isuru (Karandeniya Central), Ravindu Milan (Karandeniya Central) 

Best Emerging Team: Piliyandala Central, St. Anthony’s College Kandy, Karandeniya Central 

Up-and-Coming Schools 

Best Bowler: Nadeera Ishan (Vidyaloka College, Galle), Kavindu Maduranga (Nalanda Boys School, Minuwangoda), Venuk Hettiarachchi (Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte) 

Best Batsman: Kithnuka Amarasinghe (St. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela), Viraj Hemantha (Nugawela Central), Kalana Madushanka (Seethawaka MMV, Avissawella) 

Best All-rounder: Nisal Malinga (Christ King College, Ja Ela), Neshika Perera (De La Salle College, Mutwal), Sandaruwan Chinthaka (Galahitiyawa Central, Ganemulla) 

Up-&-Coming Provincial Teams 

Western Province: Christ King College Ja Ela, Nalanda Boys College Minuwangoda, Ananda Sastralaya Kotte 

Southern Province: Vidyaloka College Galle, Ananda MV Elpitiya, Siddartha MV Balapitiya 

Central Province: Sri Rahula College Katugastota, Sri Sumangala College Kandy 

North Western Province: Maliyadeva Model School Kurunegala, Ibbagamuwa Central 

Girls’ Schools 

Best Team: Devapathiraja College Rathgama, Ratnavali Girls School Gampaha, Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda 

Most Promising Player: Kavisha Dilhari (Devapathiraja College, Rathgama), Janadhi Anali (Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda), Rashmi Silva (Rathnavali BV Gampaha) 

Dialog 4G Special Awards 

Fastest to 1,000 runs: Santhush Gunathilake (St. Peter’s College) 

Fastest to 100 wickets: Kavishka Senadheera (Trinity College) 

Dialog 4G Bowler: Nadeera Ishan (Vidyaloka College, Galle – 10 wickets in an innings)