Melbourne Bushrangers youth cricket team to play in Sri Lanka

An elite youth cricket team from the northern region of Melbourne calling themselves the ‘Melbourne Bushrangers’ will be making their maiden tour of Sri Lanka soon.   

The squad comprising 13 players mostly 16 years old, two officials and 15 supporters will be arriving on Sunday, 3 July on a two week visit to play seven games in Kalutara, Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo.

This tour is a brainchild of former Peterite cricketer of the early ‘80s and now Melbourne resident, Mario Roshitha Perera who also toured Sri Lanka with his club youth development squad in April this year.

The team consists of elite players in the region who have gained representative honours at Association, Regional & State level. For most of them, this will be their first overseas cricketing assignment.

The touring team will have the opportunity of playing at the Asgiriya and Rangiri Dambulla international stadiums. There will be five 50 over games and two T20 games in the itinerary.

 They will be led by left handed top order batsman Donovan Pell and will have three vice captains in wicket keeper/opening bat Jayden Borg and all rounders Ejaaz Alavi and Nishal Perera who will be their frontline spinners.

Experienced coach Brett Lewis will be the Team Director and Mario Roshitha Perera who will be on his fourth cricket tour of Sri Lanka will function as the Tour Director.

The tour itinerary is as follows:

6 July – vs Kalutara District Selection at Surrey Cricket Ground, Maggona

9 July – vs Trinity College at Asgiriya Stadium 11 July - vs North Central Province at Rangiri Dambulla Stadium

13 July  – vs St Peter’s College at NCC Grounds 14 July - vs St Joseph’s College at Darley Road 15 July - 2 x T20’s vs Thurstan College and a Combined schools selection at Thurstan College grounds.