First coupons appear today...

OBSERVER-MOBITEL School Cricket Contests on again!

by Leslie FERNANDO

SCHOOLBOY CRICKET CONTESTS: It’s on, the Most Popular OBSERVER-MOBITEL Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year All-Island and Outstation Contests start today. This year is the 32rd year that the contests are held and the first coupon in connection with the contest appears on this page.

The OBSERVER-MOBITEL Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest has opened the door for up-and-coming cricketers to further their interest in the game. The contest is a forerunner for cricketers to gain recognition at the highest level.

The unprecedented keenness shown by the schoolboys and all others concerned in the running of inter-schools matches should be duly recognised. Having the OBSERVER-MOBITEL show will also be a morale-booster to the school cricketers in their future endeavours too.

So, the OBSERVER-MOBITEL Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year competition is definitely on. Voting for the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year - All Island and Outstation will begin today. The readers of Sunday Observer, Daily News, Dinamina and Thinakaran will have an added advantage of sending two votes for their favourite schoolboy cricketer as there will be two coupons each for the All Island and Outstation Contests. One voting coupon each will be published in the Daily News, Dinamina and Thinakaran from this week.

SLT-Mobitel will be the third sponsor in the history of Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest series after Warner-Hudnut and Bata. Former Sri Lanka Test captain and present ICC Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle won the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year crown when Warner-Hudnut sponsored the inaugural event in 1978 and 1979.

SLT-Mobitel presence as the sponsor would further strengthen the original show which has recognised schoolboy talent over the years. SLT-Mobitel no doubt will provide that ‘Smart’ connection to the Observer-Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest conducted by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

The contest will have the usual backing of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricketer Association (SLSCA), and the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association.

Top cricketers - the winners

The Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contests have been very popular in the past and the umpires have made some sound decisions in picking the various winners and the selected cricketers have gone onto represent Sri Lanka in big-time cricket. Take for example Arjuna Ranatunga - the Sri Lanka cricket captain who won the World Cup for the country in 1996. He was the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1980 and ‘82. Then Ranjan Madugalle who has been a popular figure at this competition, won it in 1978 and 1979. He is now the Chief Match referee of the ICC.

Muttiah Muralitharan who needs no introduction about his bowling feats in the international scene, won the top award while playing for St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota in 1991. Then Thilan Samaraweera who climbed the ladder of success in Sri Lanka’s Test team was the winner here in 1994 and 1995. There was also Roshan Mahanama, the former Nalanda and Sri Lanka star batsman, won the top award in 1983 and 1984. Mahanama is also an ICC match referee. Wesley’s Farveez Maharoof, Sri Lanka’s paceman won in 2003, Asanka Gurusinha of Nalanda and Sri Lanka fame, won here in 1985. Marvan Atapattu of Ananda College, former Sri Lanka captain won in 1990.

So, the names are there and all top cricketers who have gone on to represent the country at the highest level. So this is the School Cricket Competition that is eagerly awaited. Besides voting in the two competitions, readers also stand a chance to win valuable prizes each week in the weekly competition. Angelo Perera of St. Peter’s College won the 2009 Most Popular Schoolboy Cricket of the Year Contest while Naveen Kavikara of D.S. Senanayake College was the runner-up. Both these players have been selected to represent Sri Lanka at the Twenty20 Cricket Tournament (hold for the first time) at the 11th South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 29 to February 9. In the Outstation Contest, S.H. Indunil Kumara of Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Ratgama was the 2009 winner while K. Wickremarachchi of Gamini MMV was the runner-up.