St. Sylvester's, Kandy learnt cricket the hard way

By Hafiz Marikar

Playing cricket the hard way... St. Sylvester's College who started playing cricket in 1955, is one for the cricket playing schools that does not enjoy the luxury some schools enjoy.

However, under the leadership of Hansamal A Perera, in the very first game, he got the best out of the team and nearly pulled off victory against Moratuwa M.V. He made a solid 58. Last season, Perera scored 780 runs, which included two centuries and eight half centuries and also he improved on the big match record by scoring an unbeaten 139. He passed the record of Anura Sugathadasa's 1986 - 110 runs.

Hansamal's brother, Manjula too, is in his team. Manjua a pace bowler with had a good haul of wickets last season. These two hail from a cricketing family.

There father Mervin played for the same school as a opening bat and the boys his grand father Newton Perera was a cricketer and footballer and his uncles Dunuwille brothers _ Meryl, Anura and Pradeep were famous at cricket at St. Anthony's.

St.Sylvesters with limited facilities, did extremely well in 1994 to emerge as the All-Island Schools Coco Cola Trophy League champions and in the knock-outs stage went down to Ananda College.

The 1994's All-Island winning team was led by Duncan Arnolda. That team had players like J.G. Udayatilake, A.S.Danage, A.N.C. Attanayake, W. Gunatilleke, M.Y.M. Fasleen, T. Jayasekara, S. Abeyasekara. The team was coached by the present coach Roland Perera with Gamini Abeyarthne as the MIC, and the team had plenty of support coming their way as the principal then Bertie Nilagoda who helped the team a great deal.

Judging the present strength of the St. Sylvestar's, the team should do well. However, one drawback they have is they do not have a turf wicket for practice, but they play matches on turf wicket, thanks to the coach Roland Perera, who has close links with the authorities of Pallekelle Stadium of KDCA and they are fortunate in getting the wicket there for have matches.