Dialog-ST 2019: Showdown for the crown is inevitable

As it was evident in the past few weeks, a duel is building gradually up as the seventh week of the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest comes to an end. 

Sukhitha Manoj of St. Sebastian's College Moratuwa is still in the lead in the All-Island Schools segment, but he is surely to be countered in no time by Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College. 

Navod debuted just few weeks ago, middle of the list but he has shown great potential of crafting a healthy rivalry to the crown. 

Navod is now positioned at the second slot, with 757 votes, after adding the most for the week from this segment, 277. 

Manoj, the leader, stills sits comfortably with a tally of 1774 votes, after adding up 230. 

The difference is 1017 but, it could trim down in weeks to come as indicates. 

Lakshitha Rasanjana of Nalanda College, had to slid down by a place to third. 

The pair from St. Anne's College, Kurunegala, K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya and Naushan Rafeel has shown good progress compared with other competitors in the list, which numbers 20.  

Vishal Rukshan of St. Peter's College Gampaha, continues to lead the Emerging Schools category with an overwhelming tally of 1854. 

He added 302 in the ended week. 

But Thanusha Sandaruwan of St. John's College, Nugegoda and Lithija Kalhara of Ananda Maithree NS Balangoda have given an alarm by surpassing the 1000 votes mark. 

In addition Ashan Jayasinghe of Siri Piyarathana Central, Padukka, debuts at No.4 with an overwhelming count of 723 votes, the highest among all three segments for this week. 

Sathya Sadeepani of Devapathiraja College Rathgama took her tally to 122 while continuing to lead the Girls' Schools category, which was introduced to the ever popular competition in the country last season. 

She pushed down Sithmi Nirasha of Anula Vidyalaya Nugegoda to second spot few weeks ago. 

The nature of the race to the top could definitely hit a peak as weeks progress with 19 more weekends to go before it comes to an interesting end. 

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), will come alive from next week. 

Players of all categories, including those already in the fray through coupons, should register themselves following the link -- www.dialog.lk/cricket/register. 

The method to follow in the digital registration process has been made simple for schoolboys and schoolgirls. 

Already a good number of players have registered and their names will be published in weeks to come after necessary verification. 

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. 

All-Island Schools 

Sukhitha Manoj (St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa) 1774 

Navod Paranavithana (Mahinda College) 757 

Lakshitha Rasanjana (Nalanda College) 641 

Abhishek Ananda (Trinity College) 311 

Ravindu Fernando (Maris Stella College) 186 

K.A.L.C. Warnakulasuriya (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 132 

Nishan Madushka (Moratu Vidyalaya) 97 

Pasindu Ushetti (Maris Stella College) 60 

Shehan Fernando (St. Benedict's College) 59 

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

Yasitha Samararathne (Dharmaraja College) 49 

Mihisal Vidanapathirana (St. Thomas' College, Matara) 47 

Naushan Rafeel (St. Anne's College, Kurunegala) 45 

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

Sandun Mendis (Richmond College) 25 

Kanishka Ranthilakage (Ananda College) 20 

Dinitha Prabhanaka (Devapathiraja College, Rathgama) 17 

Pasindu Bandara (Trinity College) 5 

Shevon Daniel (St. Joseph's College) 4 

Kalana Perera (S. Thomas' College) 3 

Emerging Schools 

Vishal Ruskhan (St. Peter's College, Gampaha) 1854 

Thanusha Sandaruwan (St. John's College, Nugegoda) 1039 

Lithija Kalhara (Ananda Maithree, Balangoda) 1023 

Ashan Jayasinghe (Siri Piyarathana, Padukka) 723 

Sachin Jayasinghe (Royal College, Panadura) 102 

Chamod Sandaru (Piliyandala Central) 20 

Girls' Schools 

Sathya Sandeepani (Devapathiraja College, Ratgama) 122 

Sithmi Nirasha (Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda) 36 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Prasanna Perera, 131, Ampitiya Road, Kandy, 2. H.D.P. Kithsiri, 384/E, Jaya Mawatha, Polpithimukalana, Kandana, 3. Tharushi Dhananjana, 122/B, Maputugala, Poruwadanda, 4. Madushani Fernando, 62, Pushparama Road, Wadduwa.