Inter-school cricket has grown - the outstation schools coming - a good sign - Dharmasena, Ranatunga

by Leslie FERNANDO

Sanjeeva Ranatunga - Observer Schoolboy cricketer of the year 1988. He went on to represent Sri Lanka in tests and one-day internationals.	Kumar Dharmasena

OBSERVER-MOBITEL: Two famous cricketers - Kumar Dharmasena and Sanjeeva Ranatunga who have won the coveted Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 1989 and 1988 respectively, said it was commendable for Sunday Observer in continuing the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest for the 31st year from 1978 to encourage the budding schoolboy cricketers. Dharmasena won the top award in 1989 and Sanjeewa Ranatunga won it in 1988.

Kumar Dharmasena made his first appearance for Nalanda in the `Big Match’ in 1986 has taken to big time cricket umpiring. A member of the 1996 World Cup winning team, said it was good that Sunday Observer has kept the contest going for over 30 years. Sponsors are vital for the progress of sports in a country and ANCL has taken the lead and it helps the authorities to build up the youth.

Development of youth is very important as the youth are the ones who will take the country forward. The contest is a forerunner for the schoolboys to gain recognition for the selection into the Sri Lanka team for Test matches that will naturally follow. He won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 1989 and figured prominently in Sri Lanka’s World Cup win in 1996. He said that in the past most of the winners of the top awards came from Colombo and its suburbs, but now the outstation schools have come in a big way and it was a good sign for the game.Dharmasena, right-hand batsman and a right-arm off-spinner, played for NCC, Moratuwa SC and finally Bloomfield Cricket Club. His quickish off-spinners delivered with a slightly unorthodox action, are invariably accurate, making him an ideal one-day bowler. With the passing of time he developed into a useful middle-order batsman which guaranteed him a regular place in the Sri Lanka one-day squad. Dharmasena’s performance in the Tests and one-day internationals are: 31 Tests, 868 runs at an average of 19.72, three half centuries, best score of 62 not out, delivered 6,939 balls claimed 69 wickets, bowling average 42.31 best bowling figures 6 for 72 and held 14 catches.

In the one day internationals he played 141 matches scored 1222 runs at an average of 22.62, four half centuries, highest score of 69 not out bowled 7009 balls captured 138 wickets average of 36.21, best figures 4 for 37 and held 34 catches.

Dharmasena quit first class cricket being a loyal member of Bloomfield for over a decade on 14th November 2006 and he took to umpiring “I choose umpiring because it gives a chance to be very close to the game which I love so dearly”, he said. The decision to become an umpire was something that Dharmasena decided overnight. He was already a qualified cricket coach, having got levels one and two in England. He is now rated as the number one umpire here.

Sanjeewa Ranatunga-many valuable knocks

Sanjeewa Ranatunga, the star left-hand batsman who captained Ananda College was the sixth Anandian to win the prestigious Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award in 1988. Sanjeewa had the honour of leading the Sri Lanka `A’ team and he also represented the country in Tests and One-Day Internationals.

Besides winning the main award, Ranatunga was also picked as the Best Batsman and the Best Captain.

This is the first occasion that two brothers from one family won the prestigious Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award. Sanjeewa Ranatunga’s elder brother Arjuna won the award in 1980 and 1982.

Sanjeewa was a prolific scorer in 1987-88 school cricket season. He scored 726 runs in the 1987 and in 1988 he topped 1000 run mark. He was also a clever off spinner. He captured 48 wickets in 1982 school season. His illustrious international career started when he played against Zimbabwe in two matches in 1994. He made two centuries against Zimbabwe. On completion of seven Test matches Sanjeewa has aggregated 397 runs with a superb batting average of 59.71.

He also performed well in the Tests and one day internationals against Australia, Pakistan, India and West Indies. He also captained the Sri Lanka `A’ team on number of occasions with tremendous success.It was pleasing to note two brothers captained the Sri Lanka main cricket teams. Sanjeewa captained Sri Lanka `A’ team against West Indies `A’ in the unofficial Test match on 13th November 1996. On the same day his brother Arjuna was leading the Sri Lanka team at the Champions Trophy in Sharjah. It was a historic occasion in the cricket calendar of the Ranatungas. Sanjeewa followed the footsteps of brothers Dhammika Ranatunga, Prasanna, Arjuna, Nishantha all who did yeoman service for Ananda College in cricket and finally brought honour and glory to the country.

Sanjeewa Ranatunga said he was much pleased about the growth of school cricket in the island. There are many outstation schools in the game now and that shows the game has got a firm footing in the island.

He complimented the ANCL and Observer for keeping the show going for all these years. The school cricketers who perform well during the season are rewarded. This contest is sure to identify the talent and the high performances. The fact that these contests cater to the very best is reflected in the results - about 90 percent of Sri Lanka cricket team has won awards in this contest.

Ranatunga said the sponsors also play a vital role and the young cricketers should be grateful to them for offering rich rewards yearly.

Cricket umpires are important men and they are the gentlemen who pick the winners. Here’s what Ignatious Anandappa of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers, Sri Lanka has to say: The ANCL and the Observer should be thanked for organising the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest for 30 years. School cricket is fast developing and the Outstation Schools are closing the gap on the Colombo Schools, thanks to the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest.