Observer-Bata Cricket Awards on October 4

First Winner Madugalle - now Chief Match Referee of ICC

By Leslie Fernando

All is set for the OBSERVER-BATA Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2006 awards ceremony to be held on October 4 at the BMICH. The outstanding schoolboy cricketers of this year will be rewarded for their efforts.

This show is a eagerly look forward to event by the cricketers and supporters of school cricket as it is the oldest schools cricket show.

The OBSERVER-BATA Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest began in the year 1979 and the show has been going for all these years.

The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and the Observer together with the support of the sponsor Bata Shoe Company Ceylon Limited has been keeping the show going to encourage the budding schoolboy cricketers.

On October 4, two young men - Nalandian schoolboy Gihan Rupasinghe and that fine allrounder Rohan Saliya Tennekoon of Kegalu Vidyalaya will have a night to remember as they will rightfully adorn the tag: “Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2006” and “Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of The Year” respectively.

These two are among many others who will march up to the platform to receive their awards for all the sweat and toil they put in during 2005-2006 inter-school cricket season.

Ranjan Madugalle was the OBSERVER-BATA first schoolboy cricketer of the year in 1979 and earlier in 1978. Madugalle won the award when the contest was sponsored by Warner-Hudnut Limited.

He won the main award in 1979 and then he was honoured to be the chief guest at the show - the 24th in the series on November 22 in 2002 at the BMICH.
He is a cricketer that needs little or no introduction to this noble game. Graduating from his stint at Royal College where he captained the team, he went on to captain Sri Lanka. at 28, he was the youngest Test Captain and played in the tests including the inaugural test against England.

He captained Sri Lanka in two tests which included a test at Lord’s in 1988.

Madugalle’s ability to read the game so efficiently has been recognised by the International Cricket Conference - the world body that controls the game of cricket and he was appointed the Chief Match Referee by the ICC.