Many awards to be won in four-segment show...:

Stage set for Friday’s Mega Show

By Ranjan Anandappa

Many schoolboy cricketers believe that winning an award, irrespective the main award or otherwise, is an harbinger for their future cricketing endeavours. Having this thought in mind, a galaxy of youngsters who had excelled in the field of cricket during the last school cricket season will gather at the Galadari Hotel Ballroom on Friday, as they will be recognised and rewarded at the 35th edition of the Sunday Observer/Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year Contest for their dedication at the end of a highly competitive cricket season.

The trade mark competition for any schoolboy cricketer has produced four Test, and two ODI captains namely Ranjan Madugalle

(who was the first winner in 1979), Arjuna Ranatunga (Won twice in 1980-1982), Roshan Mahanama (Won the competition twice in 1983 and 1984 and captain Sri Lanka in an ODI series in Sharjah), Marvan Atapattu (Won the contest in 1990) and Sanath Jayasuriya (Who won the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year Contest and captain the Test team) and the latest addition to the fold Dinesh Chandimal (2009 Schoolboy Crickter Of The Year and now the ODI and T20 captain).

Two players, Ranjan Madugalle and Roshan Mahanama have done even better by going beyond the boundary of being two of the much respected ICC Match Referees, with Madugalle heading the panel.

In addition, there are dozens of players who have represented the country at ODI’ s and T20 cricket who have previously won awards which manifests the quality of the contest held with the involvement of the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association and the Association Of Cricket Umpires in Sri Lanka. The two earlier mentioned associations SLSCA and the ACUSL provides all the necessary information and the winners are strictly selected on merit, taking into account their performance during the season.

Among the umpires, many have officiated during the season and their contribution have been very notable as they have seen many of the players in action. They could predict the future of a quality talented player.

This year’s contest was held in four segments with the National Awards taking top priority. It was followed by Platinum, Gold and Silver awards. A contest was also on for the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year in the Platinum, Gold and Silver categories by readers votes.

The voting was unprecedented with the winner of the Platinum category topping 100,000 votes. With the introduction of the ‘Silver’ category more opportunities have been created for the schools who play the game far away from Colombo.

In fact to encourage schoolboy cricketers from the outstation, the first Sunday Observer Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year Show was held at the Galle Esplanade in 1978.

Royalist Ranjan Madugalle won the contest and fittingly, Upul Sumathipala of Mahinda College was judged the Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year. Since then, the contest has been a roaring success and the schoolboy Cricketers look forward for the contest eagerly.

Talking about the contest, the cricket loving public and the people involved in the game always have a good word for the Sunday Observer and Mobitel for keeping the show going for such a long time and hoped that it will continue for the benefit of the school cricketers.