Champaka Ramanayake - a hard working cricketer and coach

Champaka Priyadarshana Ramanayake - an old boy of Richmond College, Galle, who later turned out for Tamil Union in big-time club cricket here in Sri Lanka, has turned out to be a fully-fledged cricket coach. Next Wednesday that's January 8, he will be 49 years of age, but still looks fit and quite capable of carrying on his pet assignment of being a cricket coach.

Champaka Ramanayake had his schooling at Richmond College, Galle and from his very young days, from playing softball cricket, he went on to play the harder stuff at the age of 16 years. As a well grown, strong lad he played for the first eleven cricket team at Richmond from 1982 to 1985 as a pace bowler and he kept on improving when he came over to club cricket.

He bowled with a smooth run-up in his young days. His energy and aggression were soon in evidence and was called to make his first class debut for Sri Lanka Board President's XI against the Indians at Moratuwa in 1985. He bowled adequately to claim 2 for 20 and 1 for 12 and then in batting, was involved in an unbroken 36-run partnership for the 10th wicket with Asanka Gurusinha which enabled Gurusinha to reach his hundred.

In 1985 he got the opportunity of playing for the country against the Indian cricketers and captured the valubale wickets of SriKanth, Chetan Sharma and Sivaramakrishnan. Then came the Englishmen and under Mark Nicholas and he had adequate success. Then in 1987 he played against the Australians in perth.

Ramanayake who bowls right-arm fastist deliveries, played in 18 Tests and then in 62 ODI'S too. Ramanayake's Test debut at Perth against the Australians and his last Test was against South Africa in September 14 to 19 in Colombo.

In Saravanamuttu Trophy matches, he has captured around 800 wickets.

Ramanayake was the national cricket coach of UAE in 1996 and 1997. Then he played Lancashire League Cricket from 1997 to 1999. He has coached Bangladesh too.

- A.C. de S