Dialog-ST 2019: Navod sends warning to others; creates huge lead

All-Island Schools category leader Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College Galle sent a stern warning to his rivals in the list, clearly to his closest, Pasindu Ushetti of Maris Stella College, that the allrounder from the south is all out to clinch the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest. 

Navod made that clear statement by expanding his lead against Pasindu by 15020, whereas last weekend it was somewhere around the 7000 range but by this week the lead has doubled up in numbers. 

By the end of 23rd week Navod added the record number of combined votes -- 14100, while Pasindu, too, was still equally active to obtain 5908 combined votes. 

Muizz Rafeel of St. Anne's College Kurunegala and Nalanda College skipper Lakshitha Rasanjana are in at third and fourth respectively, but are within the range to swap places in the remaining weeks. 

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

He comfortably leads Vishal Nagasena of St. Peter's College Gampaha by over 6000 combined votes, as the unpredictable Thanusha Sandaruwan of St. John's College Nugegoda sits at third position. 

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. 

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. 

Note: 

The Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest will come to a close after the three remaining coupons complete the whole of 26 weeks. 

Contestants, supporters and schools will have just three more weeks to see their star schoolboy cricketer finish in style. 

The final week will be the second week of April, where Coupon No.26 will appear for the last time on April 10. 

However considering the holiday season coming up and non-publishing days into account, the Coupon No.26 will be received up to 12.00noon on April 22, a Monday. 

Results: Week 23 

All-Island Schools 

Navod Paranavithana (Mahinda College) 48444 

Pasindu Ushetti (Maris Stella College) 33424 

Muizz Rafeel (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 7920 

Lakshitha Rasanjana (Nalanda College) 7099 

Sukhitha Manoj (St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) 3812 

Mihisal Vidanapathirana (St. Thomas' College, Matara) 3520 

Yasitha Samararathne (Dharmaraja College) 1843 

Nishan Madushka (Moratu Vidyalaya) 1312 

Abhishek Anandakumar (Trinity College) 1099 

Kanishka Ranthilakage (Ananda College) 929 

Emerging Schools 

Lithija Kalhara (Ananda Maithree, Balangoda) 16996 

Vishal Nagasena (St. Peter's College, Gampaha) 10783 

Thanusha Sandaruwan (St. John's College, Nugegoda) 8914 

Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central) 6723 

Roshen Samuel (Carey College) 1848 

Sachin Jayasinghe (Royal College, Panadura) 306 

Nisal Malinga (Christ King College, Tudella) 200 

Lahiru Peiris (Christ King College, Tudella) 101 

Avishka Lakshan (Kalutara Vidyalaya) 58 

Girls' Schools 

Sathya Sandeepani (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 5796 

Kaveesha Dilhari (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 2051 

Sithmi Nirasha (Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda) 1773 

Nimesha Tharuni (Marapola MV, Minuwangoda) 213 

Readers prizes go to: 1. K. Saravanathan, 106, Old Negombo Road, Wattala, 2. Banuri Rizmi, 121-1/1, Saranankara Road, Dehiwala, 3. G.A. Shanaka Mahesh, 113/9/13, Bothale Pahalagama, Ambepussa, 4. B.K. Goonasekara, 26/1, Station Lane, Nugegoda.