Moratu Vidyalaya's Sanka Ramesh 1,187 runs and 103 wickets

by Dilwin Mendis - Moratuwa Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Moratu Vidyalaya allrounder Sanka Ramesh became the first schoolboy cricketer in the island to achieve a rare double - scoring one thousand runs (1,187) at an average of 51.6 and capturing 103 wickets averaging 14.9 in 16 matches in the 2010-2011 cricket season.

Sanka Ramesh is probably the third schoolboy to achieve this feat scoring 1,000 runs and capturing 100 wickets for a season.

This promising allrounder turned out for Sinhalese Sports Club in the under 23 Premier Cricket Tournament organised by Sri Lanka Cricket.

His best bowling figures were a match bag of 10 for 87 against Colombo Cricket Club in last year's tournament. He is a right-hand batsman and a right-arm leg-spin bowler.

He joins an illustrious band of seven cricketers who scored 1,000 runs for the school. The others are: Ranjith Fernando, Chandana Mahesh (twice), Lucky Rogers, Dammika Wickremanayake, Sampath Perera, Amal Peiris and Chathura Hemakumara.

Sanka Ramesh also joins a select band of fellow Vidyalians who scored double centuries - Daya Saman, Lucky Rogers, Lakruwan Fernando, Mahesh Kumara and Chathura Hemakumara. His epic knock of 215 runs against Zahira in the second innings will long be remembered.

His knock helped his school from certain defeat. He has another instance of hitting the top - 100 runs and a match-bag of 11 for 124 against neighbouring St. Sebastian's College.

On his way to a thousand runs, he had one double century, two centuries

and five half centuries. He missed two centuries by a fraction - against St. Benedict's and Asoka Vidyalaya respectively.

In bowling, he had ten wicket hauls in three inter-school matches and he had seven-wickets hauls too.

Moratu Vidyalaya are having some financial problems going through a school cricket season due to the high cost of materials.

So, the Old Moratu Vidyalian Sports Club and the School's Development Society have come forward to help the school out. At the commencement of the cricket season Rotary Club of Moratuwa donated cricket gear and other necessary equipment to uplift the game of cricket at the Vidyalaya.

Sanka Ramesh was full of praise for the Principal Lakshman de Silva, the school authorities, his coach Prasanna Dissanayake, OMVSC and the Rotary Club of Moratuwa for helping the school to come to the top of the ladder in cricket.

He is full of thanks to all who have helped him to progress in the game of cricket.

Moratuwa Vidyalaya will take on arch rivals Sri Sumangala, Panadura on 28th and 29 of April in their annual encounter and in their limited-over encounter the following day.

Batting; vs Kalutara Vidyalaya 41 and 25, vs Holy Cross 58 and 30, vs St. Sylvester's 129, vs Royal College 01 and 33, vs St. Mary's, Kegalle 01 and 36, vs Ananda Sastralaya 18, vs De Mazenod 11 and 23, vs St. Sebastian's 100 and 35, vs St. Benedict's 84 and 14, vs Isipathana M.V. 0 and 12, vs Asoka Vidyalaya 94, vs St. Peter's Bambalapitiya 40 and 58, vs Royal, Panadura 48, vs Zahira 02 and 215, vs St. Aloysius, Galle 37 and vs Mahanama 32 and 0 : 1,187 runs.

Bowling: vs Kalutara Vidyalaya 3 for 36 and 5 for 27, vs Holy Cross 5 for 58 and 3 for 33, vs St. Sylvester's 5 for 38 and 2 for 44, vs Royal College 3 for 83, vs St. Mary's 5 for 60 and 3 for 54, vs Ananda Sastralaya 7 for 51, vs De Mazenod 7 for 61, vs St. Sebastian's 6 for 56 and 4 for 68, vs. St. Benedict's 5 for 68 and 2 for 65, vs Isipathana M.V. 2 for 80, vs Asoka Vidyalaya 4 for 14 and 1 for 2, vs St. Peter's 2 for 117, vs Royal Panadura 9 for 93 and 2 for 108, vs Zahira College 2 for 105, vs St. Aloysius 8 for 23 and 3 for 74 and Mahanama 5 for 116.