VIDYARTHA COLLEGE TEAM: Front row seated - Isuru Prabodha (Vice Captain), Champika Siriwardana (Coach),
S. Gamini (POG), R.M.P Myadunna (Principal), R. . Ranjan (M.I.C), Pulina GFunathilaka (Captrain), Ravishka lakshan.
2nd row standing - Shyamal Priyabashana, Sahan Siriwardana, Kavishka Thennakoon, Tharindu Mahagedara,
Medunaka Wijethilaka, Kasun Karunathilaka, Gihan Jayasekara, Arosha Dilhara, C . Chinthaka, Chathuranga Dilshan.
3rd row standing - Sanjaya Senavirathne, Sandeepa Mapalagama, Adithya Kalalpitiya, Hasintha Mapalagama, Ishan Sangeeth,
Dumidu Imantha, Avishka Weerasooriya, Nethmal Kanchana.
Can Vidyartha College break a 51-year-old hoodoo is the question everybody will be asking when they meet St. Sylvester’s College in the 60th Battle of the Babes ‘Big Match’ at the Pallekele Stadium today and tomorrow play commencing at 9.45 a.m. each day.
Vidyartha last won in 1967 under R.M. Lafir, the famous cricketer who played for Government Services and have not tasted success since. This encounter was not played for about eight years, in the 1970s, because of an unfortunate incident in 1973.
Both schools despite are having limited facilities but St. Sylvester’s has emerged as one of the top cricket playing schools in the central hills. They have a playground which can be used only for training sessions. Earlier the Police ground served as their venue and they played all their matches, including the big match on that ground. Vidyartha College too has the same problem, but with all that they too have emerged as one of the leading cricket playing schools. They have been playing cricket since 1952, and has reached great heights without a proper playing field. They have a small ground for practices at Nittawela.
Pulina Gunatilleka has led the Vidyartha to be unbeaten this season; they have won their matches against Revata, Horana Taxila and Sri Jayewardenepura MV. Gunatilleka a fine cricketer is a hard hitting left-hand bat. He has scored a century against S. de S. Jayasinghe. The others who have done well are Isuru Prabodha he has scored 644 runs, Chaturanga Dilshan, Kasun Karunatilleka, who has made three 50s, Madunaka Wijetilleka and Ishan Sandeep. The side is coached by one of the finest cricketers to come out of St. Anthony’s College Champika Siriwardene who was a firm right hand bat, in the early 1990’s.
The Sylvestrians are led by Avindu Herath. He is blessed with some good players but they have failed to win a single match this season but lost to Lumbini, Mahinda and Dharmaraja. For the first time no player has a century to show. Some of the outstanding players are Nimsara Attanagalle, Nirmalan Pavitran, Pasan Hettiarachchi and Manjith Rajapakse. They are coached by their 2000/01 captain Jaliya Weerasinghe who is in his fifth year.
Vidyartha started cricket in 1952 and St.Sylvester’s College in 1955. The two teams first met in 1955, and that was the first cricket match of St. Sylvester’s. Of the 59 games played so far the Sylvestrians have won 13, Vidyartha 3 and rest have ended I draws.
0 comments:
Post a Comment