Dharmaraja raring to go this season

By Hafiz Marikar

For once in recent times, Dharmaraja College have been able to get off to a very bright start in school cricket, in the opening game of the 2014/2015 cricket season played on 5th and 6th at their home grounds at Lake View. They demolished the Matale' Thomians by an innings, with the deputy skipper Kavinda Ratnayake striking a double century (205) in two hundred and forty three balls. it was a forceful innings from him where every one at Lake View enjoyed very much.

This year they are out with a fresher laden side, however, this is one school which has a tremendous record in the game and now they are out to maintain their reputation for another season. Well backed by their 0ld Boys Union and Cricket Foundation, these two segments provide almost all the facilities for their cricket with their Old Boys overseas supporting them in a big way.

Being one of the premier Buddhists schools in the country with a rich history of more than one hundred and twenty five years founded by Sir Henry Steel Olcot in 1887 as Kandy Buddhist High School, later it changed as Dharmaraja College, and started the game of cricket in 1890's

Once again Senaka Dissanayake a top cricketer and an old Rajan who became the first to score a double hundred, is giving his best as the coach, and he expects the boys to do well in the rest of the matches. Senaka an experience person in the coaching field is a competent coach. He played for Kandy CC, Bloomfield CAC, BRC and also in Australia. As a coach he has produced some top class cricketers and unbeaten teams, he has been coaching Dharmaraja for quite some time.

Senaka with a fresher laden side has a tremendous task ahead, during the rest of their matches against, - Dharmasoka College (Lake View), 25/26 Dhamrmapala College (Lake View), 29/30 Vidyartha College (Lake View), October 9/10 St. Sylvester's College (Away), 17/18 Sri Rahula College (Matara), 24/25 Zahira College (Away), Novemebr 3/4 Lumbini College (Away), 7/8 Anuradapura Central (Lake View), 14/15 Royal College (Reid Avenue), 2015 January 9/`10 St. Anthony's College (Lake View), 30/31 Nalanda College (Lake View), February 6/7 Ananda College (Colombo), 9/10 Maliyadewa College (Kurunagala), 20/21 Rewatha College (Balapitiya), 27/28 D.S. Senanayake College (Lake View), March 20/21 Kingswsood (Host), 29 - 0ne day vs Kingswood (Host).

In the good old days the Rajans were famous to produce good fant bowlers some of them are T.B. Kelgamuwa who was known as Kandyan Express and was a well known person in the cricketing arena, Sonny Yatawara, Ananda B.W. Jayasundara in mid 1960's was rated as one of the fastest.

There were great batsmen like P.L. Arthur Alwis the first centurion of the school, T.B.Talwatte became the second centurion both in the same match, D.D. Hemapala, David Karunarthne, D.D.Somapala, T.B.Marasinghe, J.B.Wadugodapitiya, R.S.Navarthne, G.S.Wickremasinghe, D.D.P. Alwis, Shanthi Mendis, A.V.A. Pathirathne, Shanthi Kumar, Mahinda Pethiyagoda, G.B. Yatigammana, G.S.Rastnayake, Ajith Ganoruwa, Gamini Gunatilake Snr., Upananda Jayasundara, Daya Jayasundara, A.S.Ekanyake, Pujitha Jayasundara, Ajith Naranpanawa, Senaka Dissanayake , Priyantha Weeragda, Chandra de Silva, Senarth Alwis, Gamini Thomas, Jeewan Gajaweera, prasana Dahanayake, Chanminda Silva, Chapa Weeraratne, Mihira Wijesinghe, Prasanna Walalwela, Indragith Daranayakle, Bandulla Gunarthne, Ravi Rajapakse, Vipula Ranasinghe, Aravcinda Ruhunuhewa, Chamara Kapugedera, Sadun Werakoodi.

Dharmaraja - a leading cricket playing school in the country are out to give heir best, but most f their last year players have left. This season they are led by all rounder Tharusha Weragoda and Kavind Ratnayake is the vice captain. Now it is up to the coach to give his best and build up the team.

Tharusha Weragoda is a fourth year player, he bats right-handed and bowls right arm off spinners. Kavinda Rathnayake is the stumper of the side, he is also a fourth year player and a is player to be watched closely.

He started the season with a double century. The others are Wenuka Galahitiyawa a left hand batsmen and a good bowler who took 83 wicket last season. Kawishka Dissanayake bats at number one is a good left hander, Dehan Guansinhe a medium pacemen and also a hard-hitting left hand bats. Ruchire Pupulwetta is the left arm leg spinner and Gihan Senaviratne bowls right hand medium fast.

Niwantha Hearth bowls left medium pace, Nipuna Hearth i a steady right hand batsmen, and a left arm paceman, Gihan Witharana a good right arm off spinner and Asmitha Rajapaksha who bowls left arm leg spin and Upulitha Rajapakse a right hand batsman could provide gthe strenght for Rajans.

The others who are vying for place are Chathura Wijartne, Dimthu Liyanarachchi, Bawanthas Udangamuwa, Achintha Rupanayake, Danushka Bandara, Kavinda Thilakarthne, Deera Adikari, Chanuka Ranathunge and Manjula Udagedera a keen follower of the game is the MIC.