Four Test Captains among top award winners

by Ranjan ANANDAPPA

PROMINENT PLAYERS: Twelve Test players and four Test captains have been the proud recipients of the Sunday Observer Schoolboy Cricketer Award which endorses the superiority of the contest during the past three decades of inter-school cricket.

The first two winners _ Ranjan Madugalle _ winner of the 1979 contest and Arjuna Ranatunga who won it in 1980 and 1982, both led Sri Lanka with distinction during an era where fewer Test matches were played in the country. Both reached the pinnacle of their career bringing unprecedented honour to the country.

While Madugalle ended up by being the ICC Chief Match Referee ahead of even cricketers of the calibre of West Indian great Clive Lloyd, Arjuna marshalled the Sri Lankan team to beat Australia in the World Cup final in 1996 which gave a tremendous boost for Sri Lanka cricket.

Arjuna Ranatunga was well-known for his astute leadership and 'never say die' approach to the game.

After Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama who won the competition twice in 1983 and 1984 led Sri Lanka in the Australasia Cup held in Sharjah in 1994 when there was a dispute between the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and then captain Arjuna over a fitness Test conducted prior to the tour. Aravinda de Silva who was dropped from the side as a result of the fitness test and Ranatunga in support of Aravinda, refused to go on the tour. Mahanama was appointed as captain.

However, a couple of years later, a strong combination led by Ranatunga went on to win the World Cup.

Marvan Atapattu who won the contest in 1990, captained the Sri Lanka side from 2003 to 2006 and played in 90 Test matches and 270 One-day Internationals. The stylish right-hander had sixteen Test hundreds and six double hundreds in his illustrious Test career.

Sanath Jayasuriya was Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year and he led Sri Lanka.

The others who have won the title: Naveed Nawaz, Kaushal Weeraratne, Dinesh Chandimal and Muthumudalige Pushpakumara have played in ODIs while Chinthaka Jayasinghe was a member of the T20 World Cup team.

The winners.

1979: Ranjan Madugalle (Royal College) 1980/1982. Arjuna Ranatunga (Ananda) 1981, Rohan Buultjens (St.Peter's) 1983/1984, Roshan Mahanama (Nalanda) 1985, Asanka Gurusinha (Nalanda) 1986, Roshan Jurangpathy (Royal) 1987, Rohan Weerakkody (St.Joseph's) 1988, Sanjeeva Ranatunga (Ananda) 1989, Kumar Dharmasena (Nalanda) 1990, Marvan Atapattu (Ananda) 1991, Muttiah Muralitharan (St.Anthony's, Katugastota) 1992. Sajith Fernando (St.Anthony's, Katugastota) 1993, Naveed Nawaz (D.S.Senanayake) 1994/1995, Thilan Samaraweera (Ananda) 1996. Nimesh Perera (St.Sebastian's, Moratuwa) 1997, Chinthaka Jayasinghe (Dharmapala, Pannipitiya) 1998, Pradeep Hewage (St.Benedict's) 1999.

Muthumudalige Pushpakumara (Ananda) 2000, Kaushal Weeraratne (Trinity) 2001, Kaushal Lokuarachchi (St.Peter's) 2002, Sahan Wijeratne (Prince of Wales) 2003, Farveez Maharoof (Wesley) 2004/ 2005, Lahiru Pieris (St.Peter's) 2006, Gihan Rupasinghe (Nalanda) 2007, Malith Gunatilleka (Ananda) 2008, Umesh Karunaratne (Thurstan) 2009, Dinesh Chandimal (Ananda) 2010, Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Royal) 2011.