U-19 Cricket: Lahiru likely to take up the challenge in fifth week of Bata-TST Schoolboy Cricketer 2016

Pawan Dias of Royal College Panadura continues to be at the top as the leader of the All-Island Schools category in the fifth week running in the 37th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2016.

However Lahiru Thambawita of Holy Cross College Kalutara has started to make inroads.  

Pawan expanded his lead to 1979, by adding 497 votes to his tally, but by the ended week Lahiru received of 521 votes to take his count to 935 and claim the second slot. 

Pawan leads Lahiru by 1044 votes and by the looks of it the competition could become an intense battle between the two in weeks to come. 

This initiative has forced Lakshina Rodrigo of St. Peter’s College to retreat to the third place but he too looks well set to become the third force with his tally of 776 votes. 

Ravin Sayer of Trinity College and Malshan Rodrigo of St. Joseph’s College remain unchanged at fourth and fifth spots sans impressive addition to their totals. 

Sammu Ashan of Ananda College makes a sudden leap by two spots as Kevin Perera of Maris Stella College Negombo enters the fray ahead of bottom-placed Lasith Embuldeniya of Royal College Colombo.  

Madawa Fernando of De La Salle College Mutwal gets a challenger in the Emerging Schools category with the entry of Dilshan Madushanka of Siri Piyarathana Central Padukka. 

Nevertheless Madawa remains on top with a tally of 568 votes and leads the new entrant by 493 votes. 

The International Schools category is yet to kick off. 

Coupons of the 37th Bata-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2015 will appear on Wijeya Newspaper’s dailies, the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa and also its weekend English issue, the Sunday Times and the Sinhala weekly Deshaya. Readers will be able to send in as much as coupons in favour of their favourite schoolboy cricketer until mid May. 

All-Island Schools

Pawan Dias (Royal College Panadura) 1979

Lahiru Thambawita (Holy Cross College) 935

Lakshina Rodrigo (St. Peter’s College) 776

Ravin Sayer (Trinity College) 432

Malshan Rodrigo (St. Joseph’s College) 303

Pasindu Sooriyabandara (Royal College Colombo) 168

Ravindu Kodituwakku (S. Thomas’ College) 87

Gishath Panditharathne (Royal College Colombo) 77

Himasha Hashen (Dharmapala Pannipitiya) 74

Geethal Fernando (St. Benedict’s College) 60

Charana Nanayakkara (Thurstan College) 59

Yohan Mendis (    S. Thomas’ College) 59

Kamindu Mendis (Richmond College) 48

Kavindu Bandara (Nalanda College) 46

Sammu Ashan (    Ananda College) 44

Sachinda Gamadikari (Maris Stella College) 43

Charith Asalanka (Richmond College) 39

Nipun Samarasinghe (St. Joseph’s College) 35

Thulina Dilshan (St. Benedict’s College) 28

Kevin Perera (Maris Stella Negombo) 23

Lasith Embuldeniya (Royal College) 22

Emerging Schools

Madawa Fernando (De La Salle College Mutwal) 325

Dilshan Madushanka (Siri Piyarathana Padukka) 75