U-19 Cricket: Lasith leads with only two counts left

With just counts to go in the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2017 competition, overall leader Lasith Croosepulle of Maris Stella College Negombo has almost concreted his authority with a huge lead of 80929 from his immediate rival. 

Lasith, obtained 14912 combined votes during the ended week as his tally moved further to 222983 and stand firmly ahead of second placed Navindu Nirmal of St. Aloysius College Galle. Navindu's total reads as 142054 after adding 1641 combined votes this week. 

The All-Island segment, as it looks presently, is a clear win assured to Lasith with just two more coupon counts pending, unless a miracle is performed by Navindu's supporters. 

However the Emerging Schools segment is a total different as it shows all possibilities of an exciting finish. Overall leader Pulitha Yasas of Sri Sumangala College Panadura and Prabash Maduranga of Siri Piyarathana Padukka is engaged in a clear battle with a deficit of 1114. 

Yasas added 659 combined votes in the ended week while Prabash added 949 to further slim down the gap from last week. 

The International Schools category too is a hotly contested battle right now with Tariq Haniff of Wycherley International School and Shimraz Shahil of Alethea International School running close to each other. 

Important 

Coupons will run for 26 weeks in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies, the Daily Mirror and DailyFT, and the two Sinhala dailies, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada with the final week set for July 2. 

Online voting could be done through Dialog Axiata's digital online voting system Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer via www.dialog.lk/cricket. 

The count of week 24 of digital voting was monitored and approved by auditors Pricewaterhouse Cooper. 

All-Island Schools 

Lasith Croosepulle (Maris Stella College) 222983 

Navindu Nirmal (St. Aloysius' Galle) 142054 

Mohamed Najath (Zahira College) 62435 

Charana Nanayakkara (Thurstan College) 10506 

Santhush Goonathilake (St. Peter's College) 9388 

Dinitha Basnayake (St. Benedict's College) 7069 

Romesh Nallaperuma (S. Thomas' College) 6416 

Helitha Vithanage (Royal College) 1843 

Nikesh Anjana (S. Thomas' College) 1818 

Mohamed Rifaz (Presidents College) 1438 

Lakshina Rodrigo (St. Peter's College) 1212

Sahan Suraweera (Ananda College) 892

Hareen Buddhila (St. Aloysius College) 683

Dileepa Jayalath (Ananda College) 531

P.A. Dananjaya (Richmond College) 291

Pasindu Sooriyabandara (Royal College) 258

Sammu Ashan (Ananda College) 255

Asel Sigera (Ananda College) 243

Sanjula Abeywickrama (Isipathana College) 203

Jehan Daniel (St. Joseph's College) 175

Lasith Udage (St. Mary's Kegalle) 153

Avishka Perera (Nalanda College) 55

Naveen Gunawardana (Thurstan College) 54

Shanogeeth Shanmuganathan     (Trinity College) 27

Kavindu Gimhana (Ananda College) 27

Dineth Madurawala (St. Joseph's College) 25

Thilina Perera (Wesley College) 25

Salith Fernando (St. Anthony's Wattala) 17

Pathum Nissanka (Isipathana College) 14

Avishka Fernando (St. Sebastian's Moratuwa) 14

Thilina Nemesh (Prince of Wales') 11

Emerging Schools 

Pulitha Yasas (Sri Sumangala Panadura) 5585 

Prabash Maduranga (Siri Piyaratana Padukka) 4471 

Sahan Perera (Christ King Pannipitiya) 1061 

Imesh Basnayake (St. Peter's Gampaha) 447 

Gimhana Dhanushka (Piliyandala Central) 130 

Nipuna Ransika (P. de S. Kularatne MV) 98 

Methushan Thilina (Kegalu Vidyalaya) 84 

Suminda Lakshan (De La Salle Mutwal) 53 

Raveen Yasas (Devapathiraja Rathgama) 44 

Hirusha Mendis (Siddartha Central Balapitiya) 32 

International Schools 

Tariq Haniff (Wycherley International) 716 

Shimraz Shahil (Alethea International) 517 

Readers prizes go to: 1. Waruna Jayasanka, Nimal Sewana, Pahala Imbulgoda, Imbulgoda, Kirillawala, 2. W.P. Chathuranga, 375, Galagedara, Padukka, 3. Vihanga Pabasara, 95/1/2, 1st Lane, Bandaranayake Pura, Indigolla, Gampaha, 4. M. Jabir, 73/17, Saranankara Place, Dehiwela.