Five outright defeats and four wins last season make for a mixed bag. Albeit, the losses were to good cricketing schools – Trinity, Ananda, St. Anthony’s, St. Sebastian’s and De Mazenod. All this makes the 2010/11 season under the captaincy of Menuka Nanayakkara and eminently forgettable one.
After the winter of discontent comes the spring of fresh hope and expectation. This year’s captain, fourth year player Ruwantha Ekanayake is determined to improve matters. A left hand bat, who is very adapt at improvisation, he scored over 800 runs last season including a century and, for good measure, picked up 30 wickets with his leg spinners.
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| Ruwantha Ekanayake (Captain) |
More importantly, playing for Kandy Youth CC in the Under-23 tournament, Ekanayake came up with three entertaining seventies on the trot. A lively lad, he is sure to lead from the front and extract the best from his team mates.
Tall, lanky Waruna Wijesinghe, who made two centuries last season including one against the Thomians, is another formidable opponent. He plays straight and favours the lofted shots over the bowlers head. However Wijesinghe the bowler is a different kettle of fish. He does bowl at some pace, but his accuracy is another matter.
Faiz Ahamed, the leading all-rounder, made nearly 500 runs and captured 38 wickets with his off spin. An effervescent batsman, he likes to play his shots and has an attacking approach. He is a good fielder in the deep. Under-17 skipper Dushan Malalasena is another from whom big deeds are expected. He bats usefully and bowls quickish leg spin. His googly has accounted for many a batsman.
The pick of the bowlers is diminutive left arm spinner Sumedha Dissanayaike. He will, for sure, be called upon for many lengthy bowling spells. Sumedha also contributed 475 runs the previous season and thus comes into the all rounder category.
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| Waruna Wijesinghe (Vice Captain) |
Hansamal Perera, a sixteen year old opening bat, is a player on whom the school authorities are pinning a lot of faith. A prolific scorer in junior cricket, Hansamal didn’t miss national honours by much. Nimesha Mendis is also a left arm spinner but is very much a Dissanaike clone. He had 38 wickets in 2010/11. Left handed opener Indunil Samarananda has a very good temperament. Not blessed with too many shots, he plays straight and is quite prepared to bat till the cows come home.
For pace the Sylverstrians have Wedikkara, Hettiarachchi, Nanayakkara, Bandara, Kalhara and Palamakumbura. Off spinners Samarakoon and Singh are awaiting their call up to the big league.
Manesha Madduma Bandara is the first choice wicketkeeper but has competition coming his way from Dilan Mel and Piyaratne. Looking back at the squad, one feels that the batting will look after itself.
However the bowling could be found wanting when up against the better schools. The fielding is good without being brilliant. But Sumedha Dissanaike stands out with a very good left arm throw.
Roland Perera, a coach with a lot of experience, is in charge of the team. Another ex Sylvestrian Sankalpa Gunasekera is the assistant. Parinda de Silva is the master-in-charge. Duncan Arnolda and Chanaka Wijesinghe are two former Sylvestrian skippers who have been doing well in club cricket in Colombo. The facilities that the cricketers enjoy are adequate and this could be a reason why more Sylvestrians have not made a mark at Premier club level.
The Sylvestrians opened their season this weekend against Dharmaraja. Their tournament matches are against Ananda, Maliyadeva, D.S. Senanayake, Lumbini, Isipathana, Richmond, Royal Panadura and St. Benedict’s. In addition, they will be meeting Kingswood, St. Anthony’s, St. Aloysius, St. Sebastian’s, De Mazenod, Sumangala, Kegalu Vidyalaya and Vidyartha. The St. Sylvester’s squad: Ruwantha Ekanayake (Captain), Waruna Wijesinghe, Faiz Ahamed, Dushan Malalasena, Sumedha Dissanaike, Hansamal Perera, Nimesha Mendis, Harsha Wedikkara, Indunil Samarananda, Dilan Mel, Dhanuja Hettiarachchi, Rajitha Piyaratne, Dilip Nanayakkara, Chandula Bandara, Manesha Madduma Bandara, Sandeep Singh, Upendra Palamakumbura, Kasun Samarakoon, Anjula Kalhara.
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