Best Allrounder-Outstation:

Malith has a bright future

By Leslie FERNANDO

CRICKET: A young cricketer with some fine performances among the Outstation Schools this year Malith Gunasekera of Tissa M.M.V., Kalutara was selected as the Best Allrounder-Outstation sector at the 32nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest.

Malith has set a fine record, playing cricket for six years for the 1st XI team and also went on to captain the Tissa M.M.V., Kalutara this year.

He is an allrounder and has been consistent with his fine performances that took Tissa M.M.V. to the top.

Malith carried away the Best Allrounder’s Award for his outstanding performances this season. He proved that one can overcome all obstacles if there is a will to do well. He has contributed immensely towards the success of his school. Tissa M.M.V. had six outright wins of the 15 matches that they played.

Performing well on the cricket pitch as an allrounder, Malith, showed his capabilities as a batsman scored 1,607 runs during the cricket season which finished a couple of months ago. He had a top score of 217 against Sri Jayawardenapura College, Kotte. He 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 pace bowler and he has claimed 118 wickets. He has got five-wicket hauls eleven times.

His best bowling feat - a match haul of 16 wickets, 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.

Very successful

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 captain of the team this year and led the side admirably.

It was an incredible task in playing the ‘Big Match’ against Kalutara Vidyalaya for six years from 2005 to 2010.

At this year’s encounter, he fared well scoring a century (100) and capturing 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 M.M.V. and the three coaches Duidu Hemal, (his first coach), Nalin Roshan and Pramuka Sudesh together with Indika Alwis, Master-in-charge, have given their full support to 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 Gunasekera is turning out for Panadura SC in the Premier League Cricket Tournament and playing club cricket had helped him to reach high levels.

He sat for the A/L Examination and he hopes to continue with the game.