Dialog-ST 2019: Navod expands lead, as deadline nears

All-Island Schools leader Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College Galle secured his stronghold by expanding the deficit by 6828 by the end of 22nd week of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest. 

Last week Navod and Maris Stella's Pasindu Ushetti were within 2589 votes apart, but the leader could now relax with just four weeks away from the deadline. 

Navod cemented his position by adding a mammoth 9428 combined votes in the ended week, while Pasindu, too, was equally active to obtain 5189 combined votes. 

Muizz Rafeel of St. Anne's College Kurunegala and Nalanda College skipper Lakshitha Rasanjana are in at third and fourth respectively, but with just four more weeks to go changes in the top places are possible. 

The Emerging Schools category is still led by Lithija Kalhara of Ananda Maithree NS, Balangoda. 

He comfortably near the tally of 15000. Behind him are Vishal Nagasena of St. Peter's College Gampaha and Thanusha Sandaruwan of St. John's College Nugegoda. 

Sathya Sadeepani of Devapathiraja College Rathgama continues to cruise along as the leader of the Girls' Schools category, which was introduced to the ever popular competition in the country last season. 

None of the positions in all three categories changed over the past couple of weeks. 

Coupons 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, Sinhala Weekend Deshaya and TamilMirror. 

In addition Dialog Axiata's online voting system through their official Online Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer (www.dialog.lk/cricket), is now alive.  

Schools have been categorised under three categories -- the All-Island, Emerging and Girls schools, according to the segmentation process of Sri Lanka School Cricket Association. 

Results: Week 22 

All-Island Schools 

Navod Paranavithana (Mahinda College) 34344 

Pasindu Ushetti (Maris Stella College) 27516 

Muizz Rafeel (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 6784 

Lakshitha Rasanjana (Nalanda College) 4725 

Sukhitha Manoj (St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) 3494 

Mihisal Vidanapathirana (St. Thomas' College, Matara) 2718 

Yasitha Samararathne (Dharmaraja College) 1843 

Nishan Madushka (Moratu Vidyalaya) 1312 

Abhishek Anandakumar (Trinity College) 975 

Kanishka Ranthilakage (Ananda College) 889 

Emerging Schools 

Lithija Kalhara (Ananda Maithree, Balangoda) 14890 

Vishal Nagasena (St. Peter's College, Gampaha) 9776 

Thanusha Sandaruwan (St. John's College, Nugegoda) 6863 

Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central) 5328 

Roshen Samuel (Carey College) 1672 

Sachin Jayasinghe (Royal College, Panadura) 279 

Nisal Malinga (Christ King College, Tudella) 194 

Lahiru Peiris (Christ King College, Tudella) 100 

Avishka Lakshan (Kalutara Vidyalaya) 55 

Girls' Schools 

Sathya Sandeepani (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 4675 

Kaveesha Dilhari (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 1372 

Sithmi Nirasha (Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda) 1220 

Nimesha Tharuni (Marapola MV, Minuwangoda) 206 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Lakmini Alahakoon, 956/2E, Pothuarawa Road, Malabe, 2. Dhananjaya Premathilake, 23A, Thammita, Makavita, 3. G.H.S. Weerasuriya, Kurunduwatta, Rajapakse Mawatha, Aanango, Galle, 4. R. Jayathilake, 38/426, Welipillewa, Ganemulla.