Dialog-ST 2019: Nimnaka Jayatilleka - a little bundle of talent

There is a slip of a lad, not yet seventeen, who has been bowling his team to many victories. Nimnaka Amodya Jayatilleka, the Antonian left-arm spinner, is running amok and destroying all and sundry that pad up to face him. 

Jayatilleka is no one season wonder. Last year, his first, saw him snare 96 victims, with four 10-wicket bags and seven bags of five or more. 

He returned figures of 9-48 in Wesley's second innings. 

His 7-62 against Royal at Reid Avenue was also outstanding. 

He has continued from where he left off by bagging 77 wickets in the ten matches played so far. 

Jayatilleka has captured 10 wickets or more three times and five or more on nine occasions. He obviously has a soft corner for Royal. 

Having taken 7 against them earlier, he improved on that with figures of 6-53 and 6-30 this season. His best return this season has been a 7-17 (match bag 10-64). 

What makes him tick? Jayatilleka says he keeps it simple. 

Not too many variations, he restricts himself to his stock leg break, an arm ball and a delivering he undercuts. 

Though turf strips provide less traction, he prefers them to matting strips. 

He's persistent and makes the batsman play most times. 

Bowling in tandem with off-spinner Kalhara Senaratne, he says, gives him an advantage. 

As for targets, Jayatilleka has set his sights on 100 wickets this season (something he should easily achieve) and a place in the Youth World Cup squad. 

Former Kingswood cricketer Dileepa Sumanaratne was his first coach at Chandananda Buddhist School.

Subsequently, he has been guided by Dimuthu Weerasinghe, Sampath Perera, Suresh Pieris, Susantha Basnayake and the present school coach Suneth Gayan.