Navindu Nirmal spams the rest of the gang
View(s):Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017
The opening of the online voting system has already proven to become a virtual game-changer as Navindu Nirmal of St. Aloysius College Galle raced to take the pole position by the sixth week of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017 competition.
As at Friday (February 17) noon the combined counting from coupons and online voting has caused major changes. With the help of a massive collection of 13030 votes from the ended week from coupons and online votes Navindu raced from sixth place to toppled Charana Nanayakkara of Thurstan College in the All-Island Schools category and stamp his authority.
Following him closer is Mohamed Najath of Zahira College, who lifted himself to second position from third with an addition of 10087 votes overall. His tally stands as 13303, 1541 behind Navindu, who has a total of 14844. Charana moved down two places to third but his tally too remains impressive. By the concluded week he has obtained 5159 votes, taking his tally to 8662. Lasith Croospulle of Maris Stella College Negombo gains a place and moves to fourth this week after receiving 6053 votes, which takes his total to 8036. Another loser is Romesh Nallaperuma of S. Thomas’ College, who moves down by a place to fifth. He collected 3941 votes but his tally swells to 6197.
Santhush Goonathilake of St. Peter’s College must be having shattered soul after losing four places from last week to slide down to sixth. Dinitha Basnayake of St. Benedict’s College, Lakshina Rodrigo of St. Peter’s, Sahan Suraweera and Dileepa Jayalath — both from Ananda College remain at their positions from last week from seventh to tenth respectively.
Pulitha Yasas Sri Sarathchandra, of Sri Sumangala College Panadura continues to dominate the Emerging Schools category. He seems to have a good following both through coupons and online voting considering his tally of 1092. The International Schools category is led by the sole runner Shimraz Shahil of Alethea International School.
How to register
Coupons of the competition will be published in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies, the Daily Mirror and DailyFT, and the two Sinhala dailies, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada. Coupons will run for 26 weeks with the deadline set for week beginning on July 2. Readers could vote for their favourite schoolboy cricketer and take them to the winning post during that period.
Dialog Axiata has introduced a digital version with an online voting system through an Online Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer (www.dialog.lk/cricket/register). Players who wish to enter the fray will have to confirm their participation by registering online with www.dialog.lk/cricket until February 28. Even schoolboy cricketers whose names are in the competition already in the competition, included by reader votes, must register before February ends. Players who registered online will be officially scrutinised of their eligibility and entered to the online voting mechanism from February 6, while the customary voting through coupons will be still on. For online voting visit www.dialog.lk/cricket. Both coupon votes and online votes will be counted on a weekly basis and the official results published every week in the five newspapers and its websites, as well as that of Dialog Axiata’s Online Portal. The deadline for online voting will be the same as for the coupons.
All-Island Schools
Navindu Nirmal (St. Aloysius’ Galle) 14844
Mohamed Najath (Zahira College) 13303
Charana Nanayakkara (Thurstan College) 8662
Lasith Croosepulle (Maris Stella College) 8036
Romesh Nallaperuma (S. Thomas’ College) 6197
Santhush Goonathilake (St. Peter’s College) 5454
Dinitha Basnayake (St. Benedict’s College) 3187
Lakshina Rodrigo (St. Peter’s College) 814
Sahan Suraweera (Ananda College) 586
Dileepa Jayalath (Ananda College) 447
Helitha Vithanage (Royal College) 323
Mohamed Rifaz (Presidents College) 196
Sammu Ashan (Ananda College) 167
P.A. Dananjaya (Richmond College) 110
Jehan Daniel (St. Joseph’s College) 56
Naveen Gunawardana (Thurstan College) 47
Avishka Perera (Nalanda College) 38
Dineth Madurawala (St. Joseph’s College) 25
Thilina Perera (Wesley College) 24
Shanogeeth Shanmuganathan (Trinity College) 22
Sanjula Abeywickrama (Isipathana College) 20
Salith Fernando (St. Anthony’s Wattala) 17
Pasindu Sooriyabandara (Royal College) 16
Pathum Nissanka (Isipathana College) 14
Kavindu Gimhana (Ananda College) 8
Thilina Nemesh (Prince of Wales’) 7
Avishka Fernando (St. Sebastian’s Moratuwa) 6
Emerging Schools
Pulitha Yasas (Sri Sumangala Panadura) 1092
Gimhana Dhanushan (Piliyandala Central) 44
Raveen Yasas (Devapathiraja Rathgama) 24
Suminda Lakshan (De La Salle Mutwal) 16
Hirusha Mendis (Siddartha Central Balapitiya) 5
Tissara Dilshan Jayananda
(National School Polonnaruwa) 3
Shrushee Adhishtana (St. Bernadette Kurunegala) 1
International Schools
Shimraz Shahil (Alethea International) 14
Readers prizes go to: 1. Lahiru Lochana Perera, 97/A, G.H. Perera Mawatha, Rattanapitiya, Boralesgamuwa, 2. Nimash Croospulle, 64, Welihena, Kochchikade, 3. Chanuka Ruvindu Fernando, 62, Pushparama Road, Pothupitiya, Wadduwa, 4. K.N. Atalugama, 90/7, Lauries Road, Colombo 4.