Thilanga pledges Rs. 2.5 million for State Services Cricket
The 109th Sri Lanka State Services Cricket Association’s Annual Awards Night 2016 was held at the Solis Hotel, Kotte. Due to unavoidable circumstances the Awards Nights of 2012/13 and 2013/14 were not held but the organisers had done a commendable job in inviting the previous winners along with the teams to receive their awards which they won earlier. The chief guest Thilanga Sumathipala addressing the house first congratulated the State Services Cricket Association office bearers for their courage in continuing the game in competitive level for over a century of years with limited resources.
Sumathipala requested every sportsman and woman to give their best and make their establishments where they are employed, proud. To a round of applause the SLC president said that the SLC will be making plans to donate a sum of Rs. 2.5 million to the State Services Cricket Association to make their endeavours run smooth. Sumathipala explained the audience his vision in restructuring SLC and his plans to uplift the standard of cricket to the top level. Many internationally reputed sportsmen were invited for the occasion and they were honoured by calling to distribute awards. Every cricketer walked to receive their awards were applauded in true sportsmanship by the large crowd present at the hotel.
Divisional winners of 2014/15 season:
‘A’ Division: Winner – Police Dept.; Runner-up – Health Department; Best Batsman – Malinda Abeyratne (Police Department); Best Bowler – R.A.L. Diyantha (Police Department)
‘B’ Division: Winner – Ministry of Defence; Runner-up – Police Department; Best Batsman – P.D.D. Maduranga (Ministry of Defence); Best Bowler – A.P.C.L. Mendis (Ministry of Defence)
‘C’ Division: Winner – Police Department; Runner-up – Dehiwela MC; Best Batsman – Mahesh Priyadarshana (Police Department); Best Bowler – Manjula Jayawardene (Police Department)
‘D’ Division: Winner – Health Department; Runner-up – Foreign Bureau; Best Batsman – D.C. Berman (Health Department); Best Bowler – H.A.P. Tissera (Health Department)
‘E’ Division: Winner – Cultural Ministry; Runner-up – Labour Department; Best Batsman – Kaveesha Dihan (Cultural Ministry); Best Bowler – Ruwan Sampath
(Cultural Ministry)
‘F’ Division: Winner – Postal Department; Runner-up – Excise Department; Best Batsman – M.A.A. Karunaratne (Wayamba University); Best Bowler – Asela Rangana (Postal Department)
50 Over Knock-out: Winner – Ministry of Defence; Runner-up – Moratuwa University; Best Batsman – Duminda Fernando (Moratuwa University); Best Bowler – A.P.C.L. Mendis (Ministry of Defence)
20/20 K/O – i: Winner – Health Department; Best Batsman – Chandana Dhanapala (Health Department); Best Bowler – Dulan Berman (Health Department)
20/20 K.O – ii: Winner – Galle MC; Runner-up – Pub. Admn. Ministry; Best Batsman – Rangana Asela (Postal Department); Best Bowler – Ajith Weerasuriya (Pub. Admn. Ministry)
Veterans: Winner – Prisons Department; Runner-up – Health Department; Best Batsman – Chandana Dhanapala (Health Department); Best Bowler – Pradeep Fernando (Health Department)