The 'ding-dong' battle rages in Most Popular Observer - Mobitel Contest:

Rambukwella leads All-Island battle and Vimukthi in front of Outstation clash

By Ranjan ANANDAPPA

OBSERVER - MOBITEL: It's just two weeks away from finding the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2011 in the All-Island and Outstation categories as the curtain will come down on the competition with the publication of coupon Number 18 on May 15. Coupons should be handed over or posted on or before May 19 (Thursday) before 1.00 pm.

Please note that there will not be a readers prize (cash or T-shirts) in the competition from this stage onwards. The voting has been intense in count number 16 revolving around three top schoolboy cricketers namely the two Royalists, Ramith Rambukwella, Bhanuka Rajapakse and Anandian Sachitra Perera and the ultimate winner will be known only after May 15 after the final count.

May be, for the first time in the history of the competition the first four candidates have exceeded 100,000 votes, and with the competition coming to a close, the race for the top spot is anyone's guess.

Royalists, Ramith Rambukwella and his closest rivals, team mate Bhanuka Rajapakse who took the top spot last week with Sachitra Perera and even Thomian Neomal Wickremasekera are in a compelling battle for supremacy in the All-Island contest.

All four, Rambukwella, Rajapakse, Sachithra Perera and Wickremasekera have been occupying the top spot some time or other in the contest.

Bhanuka Rajapakse who was placed first last week has come down to number three with 164,721 votes and Sachitra Perera is placed second with 172,074 votes.

Right now Sachitra Perera of Ananda is second

9,889 votes behind Rambukwella who is placed first. In the Outstation category too, there is a race for the first place. Royal Panadura's Dushan Vimukthi polled in 69,244 votes to grab the first place just 202 votes more than Gamage of Vidyartha who is presently second with 69,042 votes.

The deficit between number one Vimukthi and number three Hemal Munaweera is also very close - 248 votes.