Dialog-ST 2018: Girls category picks as Harshitha forges ahead

Dellon Peiris, the prolific left-arm spinner of S. Thomas' College continues to consolidate the top position of All-Island Schools category of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy/Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year 2018 competition as it reaches the end of seventh week. 

Dellon, who took over the pole position from St. Peter's College's Sachin Silva, further expanded his stronghold by adding 1408 combined votes during the ended week. 

Presently his count is at 3662, a healthy margin of 1985 ahead of Sachin, who continues to sit in the second position.

Sachin added 606 to his existing total, which now moves up to 1677. 

Sachin is pursued by Kavin Peiris of Lumbini College. 

Kavin, who managed to gain the leadership in the second week of the competition, is at third with a tally of 1131. 

Dulaj Bandara of Dharmaraja College remains at fourth position while the second Thomian in contention, Kalana Perera, gained a position to fifth with his tally reaching 278. 

Making his debut, with two votes behind Kalana is Asel Sigera. 

The contention for the crown in among the Emerging Schools is now turning out to become a home-an-home rival between two cricketers from Ananda Sasthralaya, Kotte. 

The incumbent leader Sonara Karunathunga continues his dominance with a tally of 685 while Thimira Malshan, who was third last week, moved up to second position after adding an impressive count of 310 votes, taking his total to 351. 

Pulitha Yasas of Sri Sumangala College Panadura, had to slid down to third place as a result while two cricketers debut at fourth and fifth positions. 

They are Denuwan Perera of Carey College and Kenula Gunarathne of St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura. 

The third category of the competition -- Girls' Schools -- takes an impressive way-forward as Harshitha Samarawickrama of Anula Vidyalaya proved her might with a massive addition of combined votes during the ended week. 

Last week Harshitha was slotted at second place behind Kaveesha Dilhari of Devapathiraja College, Rathgama, with just 13 votes to her name, but this week the tally skyrocketed to 587, with the addition of 574 combined votes, making her the leader. 

Kaveesha slid down to second place with Ruwini Nandasena of St. Joseph's Girls School sitting at third with just a vote to her name. 

Coupons will be published from October 1 in the Sunday Times and it will follow through the week in the two English dailies, the Daily Mirror and DailyFT, and the two Sinhala dailies, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada and Sinhala Weekend, Deshaya. Coupons will run for 26 weeks with the deadline set for April 5, 2018. 

Readers could vote for their favourite schoolboy or schoolgirl cricketer and take them to the winning post during this period. 

In addition Dialog Axiata's online voting system through their official Online Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer (www.dialog.lk/cricket), came alive from October 1 with player registrations. 

The digital voting mechanism will have its usual procedure as last season where all players must register online. 

Players who wish to enter the fray will have to confirm their participation by registering online with -- www.dialog.lk/cricket/register -- from October 1 to November 30. 

Even schoolboy cricketers whose names are entered into the competition by readers must register before that deadline. 

To validate their registration players should also be registered under the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) with a valid registration number. 

Players without a valid registration from SLSCA will not be included in any category of the Most Popular competition. 

The decision of the Deputy Editor -- Sports of the Sunday Times will be final. 

Names of players who registered online during the month of October were officially scrutinised of their eligibility and entered to the online voting mechanism from November 1, while the customary voting through coupons will be still on. 

From November 1, the Online Portal will be open for voting while online registration will be still accepted up to November 30. 

During the month of November, the names of registered players will be released weekly, every Wednesday while the cutoff date for weekly scrutinising will be the previous Friday of each week. 

Online voting will be open from November 1 to April 5, 2018. 

Both coupon votes and online votes will be counted on a weekly basis and the official results published every week beginning next Sunday in the five newspapers and its websites. 

The deadline for COUPONS will be every Thursday Noon while the weekly cutoff for ONLINE VOTES will be every Wednesday Noon. 

Online Votes received after the weekly cutoff time will be counted for the next week, while for Coupons, ONLY those numbered for the particular week will be taken into count. 

This week's digital voting count was monitored and approved by auditors Pricewaterhouse Cooper. 

All-Island Schools 

Dellon Peiris (S. Thomas' College) 3662 

Sachin Silva (St. Peter's College) 1677 

Kavin Peiris (Lumbini College) 1131 

Dulaj Bandara (Dharmaraja College) 529 

Kalana Perera (S. Thomas' College) 278 

Asel Sigera (Ananda College) 276 

Ravindu Fernando (Maris Stella College) 115 

Yasitha Samararathne (Dharmaraja College) 57 

Mahendra Absolom (St. Joseph's College) 34 

Kalana Wijesiri (Ananda College) 30 

Sachin Ravindu (St. Joseph's College) 23 

Nimnaka Jayathilake (St. Anthony's College) 23 

Emerging Schools 

Sonara Karunathunga (Ananda Sasthralaya) 685 

Thimira Malshan (Ananda Sasthralaya) 351 

Pulitha Yasas (Sri Sumangala Panadura) 191 

Denuwan Perera (Carey College) 99 

Kenula Gunaratne (St. Aloysius Ratnapura) 57 

Pathum Hasaranga (Vidyaloka Galle) 48 

Harsha Sooriyarachchi (Kirindiwela Central) 1 

Girls' School 

Harshitha Samarawickrama (Anula Vidyalaya) 587 

Kaveesha Dilhari (Devapathiraja, Rathgama) 49 

Ruwini Nandasena (St. Joseph's Girls School) 1 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Amal Sisira Kumara, 214/10, Hakurukumbura, Mirigama, 2. Waruna Jayasanka, 'Nimal Sevana', Ihala Imbulgoda, Imbulgoda, 3. Amani Peiris, 20, Silvari Crest, Yatiyana Road, Kekunadura, 4. Dinka Peiris, 34/25, Dharmaratne Avenue, Rawathawatte, Moratuwa.