Dinesh Perera - bowler with great promise for the future

By Leslie Fernando

CRICKET: Playing cricket for four years for a school is a fine achievement and Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year - Dinesh Perera can be somewhat proud of the fact that he captained Kalutara's Tissa MMV.

Bowling has been his forte and he has claimed 103 wickets this season with his off-spinners. He has got five-wicket hauls 11 times and hauls of wickets on three occasions. His best effort has been 9 for 30 and a match haul of 15 for 108 against Wadduwa Central College. Another more than satisfying performance was a match haul of 14 for 145 against Aluthgama Vidyalaya.

His cricketing prowess does not end with his bowling. He is also a capable batsman and has gathered 578 runs this last season with a top score of 102 runs against Wadduwa Central College. He has also gathered three half-centuries.

Besides winning the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award, Dinesh also won the award for the Best Bowler in the outstations.

He too started playing cricket at a young age of 10 years and his cricket prowess was such that he went on to captain the under 14, under 17 and under 20 teams. He was captain this year and his fine leadership paved the way for Kalutara MMV getting nine outright wins of the 12 matches that they played.

Dinesh Perera has completed his 'A' Level Examination and will turn out for the Sri Lanka Army in the Premier League Cricket Tournament this season along with his brother-soldier Niluk Sirantha Perera who also excelled for Tissa MMV.