And the Best School Cricket team award goes to…
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S. Thomas' College emerged the Best Team last year at the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year, and this year they stand a chance to retain the title
In the Dialog 4G Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer Contest every year, the Best Teams in the Premier, Emerging and Up and Coming categories are recognised for their performances in the season and are rewarded. Three schools in the running for the Best Team award in the Premier Schools are Thurstan College, Nalanda College and S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia.
Thurstan College, under the leadership of Sandaru Dias, ended the season unbeaten. Having played 15 matches, the Thurstanites achieved victory in five matches outright and 10 matches ended without a decision. A fine all-round side, the lads had showed their prowess in all departments of the game. They always go for a decision and fight till the last ball is bowled. Every member of the team has done his part. This is the main secret behind the success of Thurstan College.
The other team that had been recognised by the selection panel is Nalanda College, Colombo. Led by a fine allrounder in Lakshitha Rasanjana Manasinghe the Campbell Place school had enjoyed a highly successful season having won seven matches outright out of the 15 matches they played. Nalanda’s unblemished record was tarnished by Trinity College in the Sanga-Mahela encounter where they went down fighting to the Kandy school. With seven matches drawn, this all-round side’s batters had always given its bowlers a total to bowl at. A well knit bowling side spearheaded by a right-arm, left-arm seam combination, it had always given the initial breakthrough for the spinners to have the middle and lower order batsmen in trouble.
S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia is the school that stole the honours in the concluded season. Their excellent team work had taken them a long way to remain an unbeaten team. Led by an inspiring leader Sithara Hapuhinna, this well balanced side comprised cricketers who play the game to the best of their ability in a very sporting manner. A strong batting lineup, a well balanced bowling attack supported by an agile set of fielders made the school by the sea, a side that attracted large crowds wherever they played. Their fine application to the game brought them six outright victories with nine matches drawn.
In the Emerging Schools category, Piliyandala MMV had shown that they are a side who will rise to any occasion with a bunch of gritty cricketers. This is another allround outfit who makes the opposing side to fight for every run and for every wicket against them. Their front line batsmen always play to a set plan to give the middle order batters freedom to go for their shots. In defending the totals they put up, a bowling side that gives no freedom for the opposing sides batsmen to settle down. The Piliyandala school’s allround capabilities had earned them seven outright wins in 15 matches with eight matches ending in no-decisions.
Karandeniya MMV, the Southern Province school with a fine bunch of fighting cricketers had put their opponents in tight corners. This all-round side had turned defeats to victories as they possess cricketers who are capable of standing up when the occasion demands. Karandeniya MMV with a set of hard hitting batsmen takes little time to settle down. When their bowlers take charge, it is the turn of the opposing side’s batsmen to cope with their well-handled attack. They ended the season with seven outright wins in 15 matches with five drawn games.
One of the leading cricket playing schools in the hill capital, St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota remains an unbeaten side with seven outright wins to their credit. The eight drawn encounters ended mostly in their favour as they are a side that never surrenders easily. In this allround side, every member has done his part to make their alma mater proud. A school that makes a desperate attempt to bring back the lost prestige in cricket and the brand of cricket that they play was commended by every one who had witnessed the lads in action.