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Sunday Observer Mobitel Best Outstation Cricketer
2010:
Malith Chathuranga makes it big!
Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera
was crowned the Sunday Observer Mobitel Best Outstation Cricketer 2010
held recently. Having a six year rigorous practise and playing at the
gentlemen’s game of cricket at the 1st XI team, his is a milestone
achievement for a schoolboy at the Tissa MMV of Kalutara. Taking pride
in his effective and efficient captaincy, Malith has proved that you can
overcome all obstacles to clinch a good cricket title. Performing well
on the cricket pitch as an all-rounder specifically with the bat and the
ball, Malith is a capable batsman having gathered 1,607 runs in the
cricket season which has just ended. He managed to obtain a top score of
217 against Sri Jayawardenapura College, Kotte.
 He has scored four centuries and ten half centuries in the 15 matches
this season. However, there is more to Malith than just the fact that
he’s a good batsman. He is also a good medium-paced bowler claiming 118
wickets and has got five-wicket hauls eleven times. His best effort has
a match haul of 16 wickets where he got 9 for 19 and 7 for 26 in the
first and second innings against Horana Royal College. It was a superb
and satisfying performance for this schoolboy.
Malith Chathuranga, besides winning the coveted Sunday Observer
Mobitel Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award, also carried
away the Best Allrounders’ Award for his outstanding performances this
season.
He started playing cricket at a young age of 10 years and his skills
even got him to take on the captain’s role for the under-15, under-17
and under-19. He was captained this year and his leadership paved the
way for Tissa MMV getting six outright wins of the 15 matches that they
played.
It was an incredible task for playing in the ‘Big Match’ against
Kalutara Vidyalaya for six year from 2005 to 2010. At this year’s
encounter, he fared prominently, scoring century (100) and claiming 6
for 42 and 3 for 28. At this 52nd ‘Battle of the Mangosteen’ he was
named the Best Batsman and the Man of the Match.
Wilfred Weerasinghe, the Principal of Tissa MMV, and the three
coaches Dumidu Hemal (his first coach), Nalin Roshan and Pramuka Sudesh
together with Indika Alwis, Master-in-Charge have given their full
support for Malith to reach a good standard in cricket. He is grateful
to them and also to his teammates and parents for encouraging him in the
game.
Malith Chathuranga Gunasekera is turning out for Panadura SC in the
Premier League Cricket Tournament and playing club cricket also has
helped him to reach high levels.
He will sit for the A/L Examination in August this year and the
Sunday Observer magazine wishes him good luck for it since he’s a
deserving and well-rounded cricketer. |
