Vidyartha College concentrates a great deal on cricket

by Hafiz Marikar

Vidyartha College housed along Katugastota Road over here in Kandy, is a school which gives a big hand for cricket, which game they first played in 1952 and has produced several top teams and cricketers, but still have to produce a national cap.

This year, under the new coach, former Kingswood College and last season St. Sylvester's College coach Sankalpa Guansekara has taken over task of coaching and is confident that his charges will give the best this season.

Gunasekera is hoping to field an all-round side studded with experienced players. The team is bound to give off their best.

Vidyartha, is another school in Kandy which does not enjoy the best of facilities for the game, but, they keep the game going with the help of the OBA and the Principal Ashoka Dissanayake.

The boys get all the encouragement and support of the MIC Jayantha Kumat and POG Ananda Upathissa. The old boys of the school have been stretching out their hands in providing cricketing equipment and helping financially too.

The Old Boys always rally round their alma-mater during the cricket season which is a great source of encouragement to the cricketers.

Some of their past crickets who made Vidyartha and themselves proud, are Z.M Zubair, T.B. Uduwerella, Z.. Anwer, T.B. Wijesinghe, George Jayasena, Z.M., Zarook, N. Navaratne, F.M. Farook, M. Keppitipola, G.B.S. Diyawa, G.D. Ariyaratne, Russell Aluwihare, G. Peries, E. Peries, L.B. Aluwihare, L. Dias, H.G. Ariyartne, N. Eramudugolla, Sunil Searasinghe, S.M. Ramanayake, R.M. Laffir, C.K. Gajanayake and Sunil Munasinghe who was rated as one of the best bats in the year 1972.

Then there was Nimal Malagauwa. Both Sunil and Nimal had the distinction of playing for the Central Province School team against Robert Goldin's Australian Schools team in 1972. Later Vidyartha produced crickets like Anil Jayasinghe, Athula Manchanayake, Thushara Kodikara, who holds the highest individual score of 217 in the big match, his brother Chamrara Kodikara, Sanjan Boruppe, Chaminda Ariyadasa, Tyrone Fernando, Samantha Nugegoda, Manoj Chandimal, Rohan Janaka, Kigsley Jagoda, Indragith Bandara, Sisira Wijesinghe.

This year, Vidyartha College field a formidable side which includes no les than five senior players.

They are led by fifth year coloursman Chanaka Ratnayake, a stylish left-hand batsman, one of the finest players in the side. A lot is expected from chanaka Ratnayake who scored nearly 500 runs last season. He is a fine left-arm leg spinner too.

Last season, Chanaka took 87 wickets. Chanaka Ratnayake leads the side from front. So, much is expected from him this season. A knowledgeable leader who should get the best from his team.

This vice-captain is a coloursman Isuru Weerasinghe who scored over 650 runs last season with his technically correct strokes he is capable of attacking any type of bowling. He is also a capable right-arm pace bowler and took 46 wickets last season.

In the batting line-up there is one is that stylish right-hander Krishantha Jayasooriya, who made 830 runs last season. He is a dependable bat and he is also the 'stumper' of the side. Then there is Lahiru Jayasooriya, a fourth year player, who bowls medium-pace and bats left hand. A fine allrounder is Namal Perera, a second-year player who is a pace bowler and bats right hand.

The others who have shown their capabilities are Bawantha Bandara, a left-arm leg-spinner, Ravishka Upananda a steady right-hand bat, Nimesh Senanayaka a right arm off-spinner, Dushan Jayatilleke who is the number two opening bat, and the wicket-keeper of the side.

Then there is Rusith Aravinda a right-arm off-spinner, Nipuna Kumarasiri left-arm spinner, Tharindu Dissanayake, a left-hand batsman and a spinner, Amila Madushanka, a left-arm pacemen, Bimsara Santha a right-arm off-spinner, Hashan Chathuranga pace bowler, Pulina Gunatilake off-spinner.

The first two games that Vidyartha played against Dharmaloka Vidyalaya and Dharmaraja College ended in a draws. The rest of the matches are against: Kingswood, St. Anthony's, P.D.S. Kulartathna Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda, St. Mary's Kegalle, St. John's Panadura, St. Thomas' Matale, Devananda Ambalangoda, St. Anne's Kurunegala, St. Thomas' Matara, Royal Panadura, Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Kalutara Vidyalaya, Gurukula Vidyalaya, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte and the big match against their arch rivals at cricket St. Sylvester's College followed by the one-day game.