Dialog-ST 2019: Navod topples Manoj to claim All-Island top spot

With a staggering addition of 5448 votes Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College claimed the top position of the All-Island Schools segment, pushing down Sukhitha Manoj of St. Sebastian's College Moratuwa at the end of the 13th week of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest. 

This was the first time after 12 weeks that the leadership position changed in the top division segment, as Navod took his tally to 7051, while claiming the best ever count of votes in a week in this year's competition so far. 

The lead of 4191 will keep Navod in a comfortable position for quite some time, until he is potentially given a fight. 

In addition the All-Island Schools segment created two more losers apart from Manoj, who now sits at No.2, above Nalandian Lakshitha Rasanjana. Naushan Rafeel of St. Anne's College Kurunegala, claimed the fourth position from fifth, pushing down Trinitian Abhishek Ananda. 

K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya of St. Anne's dropped down to ninth from sixth as Yasitha Samararathne, Kanishka Ranthilakage and Ravindu Fernando raced to the top from the bottom half. 

Vishal Nagasena of St. Peter's Gampaha, continues to lead the Emerging Schools category for yet another week while Lithija Kalhara of Ananda Maithree NS Balangoda and Tanusha Sandaruwan of St. John's College Nugegoda surpassed 2000 votes in style. 

Sathya Sadeepani of Devapathiraja College Rathgama remains as 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 and Sinhala Weekend, Deshaya. From this year coupons will also come will out in the 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. Online registrations ended on December 31, 2018. 

Players who have represented their respective school in First XI cricket and with a tally of 400 or above runs or 25 wickets or above in the last season will be automatically eligible for the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018 competition. 

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 13 

All-Island Schools 

Navod Paranavithana (Mahinda College) 7051 

Sukhitha Manoj (St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) 2860 

Lakshitha Rasanjana (Nalanda College) 1295 

Naushan Rafeel (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 695 

Abhishek Ananda (Trinity College) 586 

Yasitha Samararathne (Dharmaraja College) 345 

Kanishka Ranthilakage (Ananda College) 330 

Ravindu Fernando (Maris Stella College) 276 

K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 253 

Nishan Madushka (Moratu Vidyalaya) 213 

Shehan Fernando (St. Benedict's College) 211 

Mihisal Vidanapathirana (St. Thomas' College, Matara) 161 

Pasindu Ushetti (Maris Stella College) 81 

Nuwanidu Fernando (St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) 51 

Randheer Ranasinghe (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 38 

Sandun Mendis (Richmond College) 26 

Dinitha Prabhanaka (Devapathiraja College, Rathgama) 17 

Pasindu Bandara (Trinity College) 6 

Kalana Perera (S. Thomas' College) 5 

Shevon Daniel (St. Joseph's College) 4 

Emerging Schools 

Vishal Nagasena (St. Peter's College, Gampaha) 3567 

Lithija Kalhara (Ananda Maithree, Balangoda) 2296 

Thanusha Sandaruwan (St. John's College, Nugegoda) 2270 

Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central) 234 

Sachin Jayasinghe (Royal College, Panadura) 157 

Girls' Schools 

Sathya Sandeepani (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 235 

Sithmi Nirasha (Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda) 38 

Nimesha Tharuni (Marapola MV, Minuwangoda) 27 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Minlaka Wimalaratne, 136, Humes Road, Galkwadugoda, Galle, 2. M.S.M. Shafni, 174/1, Nawalapitiya Road, Mariyawatte, 3. D.S. Siriwardena, 269/4, Shanthipura, Hokandara Road, Thalawathugoda, 4. Senaka Peiris, 7, Silva Mawatha, Nagoda, Kandana.