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View(s):34th Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2013
The 34th Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2013 will officially kick off from January 1, with coupons appearing on Wijeya Newspaper’s dailies, the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa. The Sunday Times will carry printed coupons each week from January 6 until the deadline which is May 30, enabling readers to vote in favour of their favourite schoolboy cricketer.
As every year, the competition will be conducted under three categories – All Island, Emerging and International schools. Readers and followers of this competition will have ample time, 22 weeks to be exact, before the closing date of the contest to take their favourite schoolboys cricketer from respective categories to the fore. As usual the top three finishers from each category will be rewarded at the gala ceremony which is expected to be held in August 2013, where Bata and the Sunday Times will announce the most productive cricketers who perform during the ongoing first XI school cricket season under different categories. 
Last year skippers of Thurstan College, St. John’s Panadura and Gateway International Rajagiriya; Sajeewa Salgado, Sasindu Perera and Lakshan Kodagoda were the respective winners of the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer awards under the categories of All-Island, Emerging and International Schools. At the same time the readers who help these young cricketers reach this helm will also be rewarded on weekly basis. Bata will be generous in giving out gift vouchers to four lucky winners among the voters encouraging our readers to be more attached to the contest as well as the future cricketing talents of Sri Lanka.
Besides the Most Popular competition, all focus will be on who will become the 34th Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2013. Last year Trinity College first XI skipper Niroshan Dikwella was crowned as the Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy All-Island Cricketer of the Year 2012 in addition of being selected as the Best Captain and the Best Fielder.
Among other award winners were Mahanama College skipper Duleeka Tissakuttige who was picked as the Best Batsman, St. Sebastian’s left-arm spinner Amila Aponso who was adjudged the Best Bowler, Royal Panadura’s Kavindu Ashan who was selected as Best All-Rounder. All schools competing in the ongoing Inter-School Division I tournament will be categorised in the All-Island Schools category including Royal and S. Thomas’ colleges who have opted to withdraw from the tournament officially this season. The remaining schools, which are competing under the Division II and III categories, will come under Emerging Schools.
The judges of the selection panel of the 34th Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2013, who belong to different components of the local cricketing structure, will be observing the talents of the youngsters during the ongoing school cricket season. This will be to pick the deserving talents at the final selection which will be held in the month of May and duly honour them at the night of all nights dedicated to the schoolboy cricketers of Sri Lanka. To be among the best young cricketers should perform to their potential, making your school cricket team proud while those deserving individuals will be duly honoured for their contributions in school cricket by Bata and the Sunday Times.
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