Surprise from Sachin
In a bizarre turn of events Sachin Dalpethado of St. Peter’s College took reigns in the main category of the 36th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the year 2015 contest, surprising the intended leaders.
Sachin was placed sixth last week and looked pretty much settled among the top ten in the All Island category of the competition. The entire cynosure was on the leader for three consecutive weeks, Himesha Ranganath of Royal College Panadura and the advancing Randev Pathirana of Royal College Colombo, who was the winner last year.
But Sachin surprised all by making a sudden blind side move, adding 839 votes within a week. Now he leads the pack and the toppled leader Ranganath by 189 votes. The competition still has all the possibilities and probabilities of producing surprises and it was evident with a second surprise of the week from St. Joseph’s College all-rounder Aravinda Akurugoda, who silently yet valiantly maintains his position at third. These changes have caused Royal all-rounder Randev to be pushed into the fourth position ahead of St. Joseph’s College skipper Pathum Madushanka. However the competition still looks open as it reaches the sixth week and with 11 more weeks to go.
In the Emerging Schools category Nipun Malinga of Vidyaloka College Galle and Udith Dilsara of St. Peter’s College Negombo remain at their respective slots from last week. By the third week Malinga expanded his lead by 419 votes over Dilsara. The International Schools category Shimraz Shahill of Alethea International still remains as the only contender.
Coupons of the 36th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2015 will appear on Wijeya Newspaper’s dailies, the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa and also its weekend English issue, the Sunday Times and the Sinhala weekly Deshaya. Readers will be able to send in as much as coupons in favour of their favourite schoolboy cricketer until mid June.
