President’s College Kotte is badly in need of a turf strip
View(s):President’s College, Kotte a school established in 1978 has come a long way in cricket playing in the 1st Division of the schools cricket
Kanishka Perera Captain
tournament.
Last year it was a season with mixed fortunes having played sixteen matches they had to be content with four outright wins and four first innings wins. In a short time this school has shown tremendous improvement in cricket producing several school cricketers who were selected to national, provincial and district squads.
Speaking to the Sunday Times head coach Menaka Jayasinghe, a former Nalandian cricketer revealed that the biggest need at the moment was a turf wicket as the boys though they play in the first division had to play turf matches without a day’s practice on a turf wicket. He also said that this year too, as the season is already underway, the cricketers feel the need of a turf strip and it is left to the authorities concerned to provide a turf strip.
Navod Kalansuriya
This year President’s College will be led by 6th year coloursman Kanishka Perera, the wicketkeeper opening batsman who had a successful season last year having scored over 500 runs and accounting for 37 victims behind the stumps. Malsha Jayawardene, a fourth year coloursman will be Kanishka’s deputy – an all-rounder who scored over 400 runs and captured over 25 wickets last year. The skipper is confident that this year his team comprising of five coloursmen and a host of talented freshers will come out with improved performances and will be a side to be reckoned with. The skipper himself along with his deputy Jayawardene and Navod Kalansuriya were members of the Under 19 Provincial Squad with Kalansuriya playing against the Australian Academy Under 17 team fared well with the bat and excelled behind the stumps,
Out of the freshers Hiruna Sigera, a right handed opening bat, with over 600 runs to his credit in the Under 15 segment, was selected to the District squad and the skipper is confident that this youngster will come out with notable performances this season and will be an asset to the side. Freshers Chamod Seneviratne and Sasindu Gamage, right arm leg-spinners are sure to trouble most of the batsmen with their crafty spinners.
Kanishka Perera along with the coach and the assistant coach paid a tribute to the Principal U.D.D. Ariyaratne, V.D.I.K. Karunaratne the Deputy Principal of Sports and the Teacher-in-Charge Srimathie for their support and encouragement to see cricket at President’s College thrive at schools level..
WHOs WHO:
Kanishka Perera – Captain, 6th year coloursman, Wicket-keeper opening batsman. Scored over 500 runs with 37 victims
Malsha Jayawardene – V, Captain, 4th year coloursman, all-rounder, right hand opening bowler, bat. Scored over 450 runs and captured over 20 wickets last season
Navod Kalansuriya – 3rd year coloursman, opening r/h bat over 700 runs under his belt
Wasika Boteju – 3rd year coloursman, middle order r/h bat with over 400 runs and a safe field
Nethmina Kodippili – Left hand middle order bat, useful left-arm leg-spinner. 3rd year coloursman
Malinga Hewage – Fresher. Left handed batsman and left-arm medium pacie, a safe field
Sasindu Gamage – Fresher, right handed middle order bat and a right-arm leggie
Malsha Jayawardena Vice Captaain
Chamod Wickremasuriya – Right-arm medium pacie, right handed lower order bat, a promising field at any position. Fresher
Chamod Seneviratne – Promising right-arm leg-spinner, lower order bat. Fresher
Lakshan Wickremasinghe – Fresher. Right hand bat and off-spinner, a safe fielder
Hiruna Sigera – Fresher with lot of talent. Member of the District squad, scored over 500 runs in the under 15 tournament. Opening bat and wicket-keeper
Sakuna Fernando – Fresher. Right hand middle order bat and an off-spinner. Fresher
Iranga Hewage – Fresher. Right handed bat and a leg-spinner, a safe fielder, Kavindu Weeratunga and Ganidu Hanwellaarachchige are two promising freshers who are vying for places.
Head Coach: Menaka Jayasinghe, Asst. Coach: Lalanga Rajapaksa.
– Lakshman Ranasinghe
- Pix by Amila Gamage
Presidents College Squad