The whole nation heard the boom of Asalanka’s drive
View(s):By Naushad Amit
Friday was a night never meant to be forgotten or undermined for some of the schoolboy cricketers, in particularly Charith Asalanka. These young lads had worked hard and done exceptionally well above the rest during the School Cricket season of 2015/2016 with the leather and willow. The night belonged to all those who had made it big and their schools proud by being selected as the best schoolboy cricketers of Sri Lanka.
It was their night and they were in charge of the proceedings of the night when the Bata Shoe Company held its 37th annual Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards ceremony in collaboration with the Sunday Times at the BMICH, where a fitting end was brought to the last year’s school cricket season.
Many were in doubtful minds if the show would deliver for what it is reputed and it was what exactly happened. The show had brought back all the forgotten and faded glamour and it was at its peak when Asalanka walked to the stage through the gashed digital giant screen to take hold of the 37th Bata-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of Year 2016 award from the hands of distinguished Chief Guest Roshan Mahanama.
Prior to that many schoolboy cricketers had received their respective awards from the fleet of presenters representing the Bata Shoe Company, Wijeya Newspapers, the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association, top cricket personalities and of course the Guest-of-Honour Sunil Jayaweera. Soon after the invitees were welcomed to the main hall of the BMICH an inspiring welcome speech by Amitav Nandy, the Managing of Director of Bata kicked off the proceedings of the night. But what gained the attention was the more stirring speech by the Chief Guest, Roshan Mahanama, who outlined the importance of upholding principles and the proper role of parents, coaches and school masters in guiding young schoolboys, especially cricketers.
Then it came to the point of giving away the awards. Anxious youngsters, who were keeping their fingers crossed until their names were called by the MCs, veteran Faizal Bongso and Zeenath Bongso, kept all their reticence away to walk on to the stage and reveal that they could easily become household names in cricket in time to come.
Richmond College and Sri Lanka Under-19s skipper, promising allrounder Charith Asalanka, who had an impressive season stood out as the brightest star in the gathering that shone on Friday night, was undoubtedly one such rising star who is standing at the edge of the national team’s entry. The eminent selection panel led by former national cricketer Jayantha Seneviratne had no hesitation in selecting him as the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2016 for the second time, where he created history — to become the fourth to win a double and receive the coveted award from another double winner, Mahanama. Beside these Asalanka and Mahanama, both unique in their own ways from two different eras of Sri Lanka cricket, former Sri Lanka captain and World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and Thilan Samaraweera had won it twice each.
From the start to the end, schoolboy cricketers from all parts of Sri Lanka flocked into one place, to spend some hours together, taking honours for their hard efforts on the field, having a lighter time dancing away the night, and sharing each second with great joy and camaraderie in the name of the game they love – cricket. It looked as they wanted the night not to be over, mainly for the entertainment provided by Wayo led by Sangeeth Wijesuriya, who kept the momentum of the show going on even if it had to end somehow, hoping for another gathering of a memorable show in the coming year, probably with a equally fun-filled or much better atmosphere, not on another planet but here in our very own land — Sri Lanka.