St. Thomas’ College, Matara has served national cricket in a very quiet way during recent years while their 1st XI team has maintained their status as an outstanding unit.
During the last few years and decades St. Thomas’ Matara has guided cricketers such as Indika de Saram and Prabath Nissanka to the international arena while Rasika Priyadarshana and Chanaka Komasaru has reached the national level and are on the brink of knocking at the door to represent the country. In the junior sector Madushanka Ekanayake has represented Sri Lanka Under-19 side while one of their present members Lasith Lakshan is a youngster who has played international cricket with the national Under-15 team.
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| Ashan Ranasinghe (Captain) |
Ishan Kanishka (Vice Captain) |
This record only gives a brief insight to the role St. Thomas’ has played in the school and the local cricketing arena but they have always made sure to preserve the unique quality that is exceptional for the southerners of Sri Lanka. This has been a great boon for the Matara Thomians in transferring at least one of them to the national level at any age categories every year.
This complex helped St. Thomas’ Matara last year to reach the semi-final stage of the Under-19 Schools Division II cricket tournament. However they were denied from gaining a promotion to the top league. This year the main aim of the Matara Thomians will be to win six games or more and return to the Division I segment according to Coach Charith Palliyage.
“Last year we were considered as one of the top two teams from the south. We had a well balanced team and a very decent bench. This year too our team is well poised with equally strong batting and bowling. Last year we almost got there and this time around our aim is to accomplish it. Of course we have lost eight top cricketers from last year but we still have fitting replacements though most of them are youngsters,” said Palliyage.
The St. Thomas’ cricket squad which comprises 20 players includes four seniors and five young players with a little bit of first XI experience. The most senior player of the side, all-rounder Ashan Ranasinghe leads the Matara Thomains this year with Ishan Kanishka as his deputy. Fourth-year-player Ranasinghe has been in fine fettle during the last three seasons with bat and ball. He is a left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off-spin. Last season he scored 562 runs in 18 matches inclusive of a double hundred and two half centuries and captured 61 scalps as an ‘offie’ following 75 and 56 wickets during the previous two seasons. Ranasinghe is a key figure in this year’s team. So far in two matches his average is yet to be determined. In the three innings he batted Ranasinghe remained unbeaten at 86, 43 and 65 respectively against St. Sebastain’s Moratuwa and Royal Colombo.
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| St. Thomas’ Matara cricket squad (Pix by Amila Prabodha) |
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St. Thomas’ usually opens with a left-right hand combination. Their openers Ishan Maduranga and Nevindu Udesh are solid batsmen but are yet to do well as a combination.
Next to follow is right-handed Lasith Lakshan who represented the Sri Lanka Under-19s last year. Next on the list is skipper Ranasinghe who is the anchorman followed by Jayanga Nirmana, a right-hander with a good touch who scored 611 runs last season.
Vice captain Kanishka, a right-hander follows next but he is yet to reach the peak as a batsman this season. The remaining players in the squad have the opportunity to fill in the remaining five slots which will be open according to conditions and the opponent.
Left-armer Rasika Damith and right-armer Hashan Vimarshana open the bowling attack for the Thomians in addition to the three youngsters who are yet to make an impact as pacies. But their spin department is quite strong in comparison. Off-spinner and skipper Ranasinghe who has captured 16 wickets in two games is their leading bowler while left-arm spinners Prashan Manohara and S.S. Dasun are the other two strikers. The team also has the services of off-spinner Vidath Jayanidu, right-arm leg-spinner Shehan Kanishka and left-arm spinner Kushan Rangana. In addition the fielding department is averagely decent.
Apart from the two traditional games which were played during the third term, Matara Thomians are to face 15 matches inclusive of seven tournament games. Their tournament matches are scheduled with Carey, Moratu Vidyalaya, Sri Devananda, Vidyartha, St. Thomas’ Kotte, St. Anne’s and Tissa Central from the Group C. Ten matches will be played at their home venue which is the Uyanwatte Stadium in Matara. This is the hunting ground of St. Thomas’ Matara.
St. Thomas’ Matara cricket squad: Ashan Ranasinghe (Captain), Ishan Kanishka (Vice Captain), Jayanga Nirmana, Prashan Manohara, Ishan Maduranga, Lasith Lakshan, Danusha Lanka, Rasika Damith, Hashan Vimarshana, Nevindu Udesh, Dilum Krishan, Vidath Jayanidu, Osanda Chanupathi, Kushan Rangana, S.S. Dasun, Prince Dalugoda, Rusiru Akshya, Charith Palliyage (Coach), Sisira Weerasinghe (M-I-C).
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