Best Fielder - Outstation:

Isuru Kumara - a smart ‘stumper’ produced by Royal, Panadura

By Leslie FERNANDO

OBSERVER-MOBITEL: In recent years Royal College, Panadura has produced a fine crop of cricketers, who given the right ‘break’ at the right time are bound to make good at the highest level. Isuru Uditha Kumara is one of those cricketers. He has already shown lot of promise and he was picked as the Best Fielder at the 32nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest - Outstation. The panel of umpires made the selection.

Uditha Kumara is considered as one of the up-and-coming wicketkeepers in the schools. Tall and slim, Isuru said he took an interest in cricket from his young days by watching big names of Panadura SC on the cricket field close to his house! By watching most of the club ‘Stumpers’, I developed a liking for wicketkeeping”, he said.

Isuru became the second cricketer from Royal College, Panadura to win an award at the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest 2010.

His team mate Pubudu Hasanka won the Best Batsman’s Award, Outstation. Royal College, Panadura also won yet another award-Best Team-Outstation and Isuru added that he was proud to be a member of the Best Team.

In fact Isuru was the runner-up in the Best Fielder’s award in the Outstation section at the 2009 Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Competition.

He had 80 victims in the 15 games he played during the 2009-2010 schools cricket season. A smart ‘keeper’ he collected 56 catches and had 24 stumpings. His best in ‘keeping’ was against Padukka Piyarathana College when he held four catches in the first innings and three catches in the second innings.

From his young days, Isuru has been involved in school cricket academy and has played in the under-13, under-15, under-17 teams and in under-19. He has been the regular wicketkeeper in all age categories and gathered a vast knowledge. His wicketkeeping has given the necessary push to the team in the field.

Isuru had the satisfaction of being selected as the Best Player in the year 2008 in the schools under-17 tournament for his fine wicketkeeping and also for his batting.

Normally wicketkeepers also turn out to be good and steady batsmen. Isuru also has proved to be a reliable middle-order batsman. He scored 597 runs for the season with four half-centuries, the highest score being 69 notout against Piyarathana College, Padukka.

19-year-old Isuru, was invited to play for Panadura SC in the BCCSL tournament when he was just 15 years in the year 2005.

He was amongst the best three players named at the two tournaments conducted by Coca-Cola Cricket Academy and Fingara Cricket Academy.

Isuru is presently playing for Panadura SC in the under-23 tournament and has shown fine form as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

He had a special word of thanks to his coach. H. A. Sumith Prasanna who is also the master-in-charge of cricket at Royal College, Panadura. Isuru had been under Sumith Prasanna since playing for the under-13 side of the college. Sumith Prasanna was one-time cricket coach of Kalutara district and Colombo District cricket teams. He is also a qualified umpire and he is the President of the Kalutara District Cricket Coaches Association.

Speaking about the Observer-Mobitel Contest Isuru thanked the organisers Sunday Observer and the sponsor Mobitel for the contest for the benefit of school cricketers.