Bandaranayake MV - a school that has improved tremendously at cricket

By Anushka WITHANAGE

CRICKET: Bandaranayake MV, Gampaha is a leading school in the district rapidly improving in cricket. Over the past few years the cricketers at Bandaranaike MV improved a great deal and one of them Nuwan Kulasekara showed fine form and he became one of Sri Lanka's leading fast bowlers.

The school, despite the lack of facilities, is fully committed towards sports and cricket takes pride of place, the coach Kanishka Amarasinghe told the 'Sunday Observer.' The School has got up an organisation called the Past Cricketers Association and also another organisation called Parents Cricketers Association to look into the welfare of the Cricketers and thereby improve on the quality of cricket at the school.

Looking at the past performances of Bandaranayake MV, the cricket team has every reason to smile about in their endeavour to climb the ladder. They have performed reasonably well at all age levels which augurs well for the future.

Bandaranayake College first XI team qualified for the quarter-finals of the Lemonade Tournament last year. They won the under-12 division II Championships (2003), under-15 Gampaha District runners-up (2006 and 2007), under-15 division II Champions (2000), under-15 division II Champion (1999), under-13 and 15 Champions of the Gampaha District (2000), under-15 and 17 of the Gampaha District (2001).

Cricket started at Bandaranayake College, Gampaha in 1963. Since then the school has been playing in division II. But cricket really begins at Bandaranayake College from the level of under-12 as the past records at school point out.

According to Amarasinghe, the coach, the team has performed creditably well and gained much experience. The Principal of Bandaranayake College, Venerable Labuthale Sudassana Thera said that he would extend his maximum support to develop the standards of the school team.

Meanwhile, the first XI team is scheduled to play Dharmaloka College Kelaniya, Devananda College Ambalangoda, Matara St. Servatius' College, Sri Sumangala Panadura, Rahula College Matara, St. Thomas Matale, Zahira College, Maradana, Ibbagamuwa Central College, Thakshila College Horana, Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa, Basilica College Ragama, Gurukula College Kelaniya, Harishchandra College Negombo, Royal College Panadura later this year.