Kingswood College has shown signs of improvement
After a moderate season last year, Kingswood College has shown signs of a slight improvement in the matches played so far. This is despite the fact that all five matches have ended in no decisions.
The lads from Randles Hill have at least eight of last year’s players and this should give them a certain degree of confidence. Coach Indika Fernando targets promotion to Division I. He feels the team is stronger in the batting department, but the fielding is described as average.
Dashing stroke-player, Ruwantha Hathurusinghe, a fourth year, leads the team. His opening gambit was a fifty against Sri Sumangala, but he has lacked consistency. He also handles the wicketkeeping duties. The best all-rounder of the side is paceman Avishka Chandrasiri. He performed last season and continues to do so. Tall and well-built, Chandrasiri bowls at a brisk pace. His left handed batting has bolstered the team effort on many occasions. His performance is crucial to the success of the side.
The enigma of the side is fifth year and former skipper Tharindu Liyanage. A left hander and off spinner; he showed a lot of promise in his first two seasons but fell away in the next two.Opener Meedum Weerasinghe is the side’s best batsman. He scored 130 (Sri Sumangala), 121 (St. John’s Panadura) and a 90 against Wesley in 2014-15. His contributions this season have been more modest. He forms a good opening partnership with Upamal Heenkende. The latter has a top-score of 60.
Dilshan Walisundara, an attacking batsman, has made half centuries against St. Sylvester’s and St. Anthony’s. If he controls himself and kicks on he can be quite a handful. Kingswood has many spinners to bank on. The experienced Vimukthi Wijesiriwardene and newcomer Rangana Ratnayake, though not doing anything sensational, have cupped in with the wickets. As he showed last year, Wijesiriwardena is a very capable performer with the bat. He has made the season’s highest – 88. Yasod Kavinda started well but has fallen off. All in all, Kingswood’s batting runs deep and the lower order invariably contributes.
Medium pacer Thusila Herath usually makes a couple of early breakthroughs. Salinda Dharmasena, a leggie, and Gamidu Kamburugamuwa (off spin) add weight to the spin segment. Coach Indika Fernando, in his first year in the hot seat, works hard and seems to have brought about a change. A former Antonian leg spinner (1994-1996), he represented Kandy CC and Kandy Youth in Sara Trophy Cricket. Fernando is also an ACU Level 2 umpire.