Sri Rahula, Katugastota a fresher-laden team

By Hafiz Marikar

FRESHER-LADEN SIDE.. .... Sri Rahula College, Katugastota is one of Kandy's oldest cricket playing schools. They started the game in 1890's but gave up the game and were more involved in Football, Athletics and Hockey.

However, again in the 1970's they came back to cricket.

This season, Sri Rahula with limited cricket facilities will be field a fresher-laden side under the guidance of famous St. Thomas' College, Combined Schools, University of Peradeniya, Saracens CC, Central Province and Sri Lanka Presidents XI cricketer Aubrey Kuruppu. He trains cricketers from young age, to play good cricket and when they come up to under 17 level they are being snatched away by other schools. Most of the cricketers learn the finer points and later join other schools for better perks.

Aubrey can be rated as one of the best schools coaches we have seen. He coached Vidyartha College for a long spell. During his spell of coaching, Vidyartha were on top. This experienced coach, is bound to make this inexperienced Rahula side to do well.

Sri Rahula, was famous for Hockey and Football and later they took to Rugby, and came on top of Mini Rugby.

One of the top footballers to come out of this school was Oscar Wijetunge who was one of the finest goal-keepers the country had seen. He played for Kandy, Army, Defence Services and the Country. He was first coached by this writers late father M.R. Marikar in the mid-1950's at Sri Rahula College.

Then in the 1970's Sri Rahula took up Rugby and produced some top players and one of their players Nihal Ananda was the first to play for Kandy Sports Club, Up-Country and Sri Lanka.

Unruly behaiour has called off matches

For this Katugastota school, one of their major sporting events was the annual 'big-match'. Usually these matches are held at the end of the first school term in March. Big matches provide competition among schools and it also serves as a meeting place for many old boys. Some of these encounters are very old, more than 100 years.

These schools have a rich cricketing history; however, at some of the matches some unruly behaviours by students during big matches had forced the games to be called off. Sri Rahula first played their big-match against St. Paul's College, (now known as Wariyapola (Sri Sumangala College) which was the fourth big match in the hills, later over a dispute, the match was called off, and now they play against Ranabima Royal College.

Sri Rahula College, Kandy was established, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by The American Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools and one of the famous Mixed Colleges in Sri Lanka.

i Rahula College is a National School, which provides primary and secondary education. Colonel Henry Steele Olcott, founder of Sri Rahula College, Kandy.

Team in Division III

Coming back to cricket, this season Rahula College are in the Division III tournament and have played against Dudley Senanayake College, Tholangauwa and Sir John Kotelawala College, Kurunegala, rest of the tournament matches are against Kiridiwella Central, Madena Central, Nugawella Central, Saranath MV Kuliyapitiya, Al Azar College and the 'Big Match' against Ranbima Royal College.

Rahula play their matches at Prisons Grounds Pallekelle and Police Grounds, Kandy. Rahula's own grounds at Katugastota is only fit for practices, because the length and breadth of the ground is short. The players right now are handicapped without a turf wicket.

This season the Rahulians are led by third-year player Mithun Maitipe who is a stylish right-hand batsman and a fine medium-pace bowler. Third year player Ashan Hearth is his vice-captain who is an attractive batsman and right-arm fast bowler. He is the best allrounder of the side and he is expected to do well.

The other three senior players in the side are: Wicket-keeper batsman Inranga Bandaranayke, a second year, Jeevantha Wijeratne - left hand bat and is a right arm off-spinner and H. Ratnayake, right-hand hard-hitting batsman and a leg-spinner, both are second year players.

The other players who have done well at practices are: Dilesha Madushanka - a fine right-arm leg-spinner and is expected to be among the wickets.

Then there is right-arm medium-pace bowler Manjih Janakantha and Nuwan Bandara, also a right-arm medium pace bowler both of whom played few games last season.

The players who are trying for places in the team are Chamika Samarasekera, the under 15 captain of the year and his team mates Madushan Paranavithane, Amila Kumara, Malith Shehantha, Krishantha Dilshan. There are some junior players who are trying for places in the sides.

Janaka Ariyasinghe is the Master-in-Charge of the team.