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by A. C. DE SILVA

The young and the old were there in their numbers to savour the top-drawer entertainment at the Silver Jubilee OBSERVER-BATA Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards show at the BMICH on Friday night.

Outstation Schoolboy Cricketer...Chinthaka Rasanga Perera of President’s College, Kotte receives award from Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala

Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer All-Island....Yasith Mihiranga Maithripala of D.S. Senanayake College gets award from Nalin Ladduwahetty - Chairman, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

Schoolboy Cricketer of the North...Chandranathan Mathusan of Kokuvil Hindu College, Jaffna receives award from Kym Bradley - Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company of Ceylon Limited.

Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer Outstation.....Jayathu Neelaweera of Sri Sumangala College Panadura receives award from ANCL Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty.

Best Batsman Outstation: M.C. Kuruppu of Sri Piyaratne MV Padukka receives award from Mrs. Anushika Ladduwahetty - wife of ANCL Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty.

Best Captain All-Island: Manjula Silva of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa receives award from Mrs. Jane Bradley, wife of Managing Director of Bata Shoe Company - Kym Bradley.

Best Bowler All-Island: Jeremy Saverimuttupulle of St. Benedict’s College receives award from Mrs. Samadara Sumathipala wife of chief guest Thilanga Sumathipala.

Though the show was somewhat delayed due to the fact that some of the main recipients of awards, which included Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Farveez Maharoof of Wesley having to make a beeline to Colombo from Galle after the under 19 match against Pakistan under 19 team, it was smiles all round when it did start as Sohan Weerasinghe and his star-class band - the X-Periments Corrinem Rajieve, Ronnie and the eye-catching dance forms of the Western Dance Band had the large gathering enthraled.

This being a cricket show, obliging Sunday Observer and Bata with his presence was Sri Lanka cricket's top administrator Thilanga Sumathipala - the President and his wife Samadara together with Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited Chairman Mr. Nalin Ladduwahetty and Mrs. Anushika Ladduwahetty and Bata's new Managing Director Mr. Kym Bradley and Mrs. Jane Bradley.

In a heart-warming address to the large gathering, Mr. Sumathipala reminded one and all that school cricket is the cradle of Sri Lanka cricket and reminded the schoolboys who had come from all corners of Sri Lanka that good behaviour is also important like their capabilities. "Play as a team and bring the game of cricket to the top", he advised the schoolboys.

Thilanga Sumathipala needs no introduction to the game of cricket. This is his third period as President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka and besides that significant fact, he also had played domestic first-class cricket for the CCC and earlier he was in the Nalanda team that won the best team award and who was the runner-up to his rival at the Board election - Arjuna Ranatunga as the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer in 1982.

"This is a night to remember for the young boys of today and I hope that they will use their talent to good effect in the years to come". The cricket boss also thanked Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and Bata Shoe Company for the wonderful sponsorship. 'I believe that both Bata and Sunday Observer will sponsor the young cricketers in the future too so that the youngsters will be able to come to the top," Sumathipala said, and added: "Cricketers who got awards today will long remember this day and it will no doubt spur them on to play for clubs and eventually for Sri Lanka."

Lake House Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty said that it was his second Observer-Bata show and he was happy to be the Chairman of the Company that has been supporting sport for a long time.

He said that there are two English papers - the 'Daily News' as the flagship of the company and the 'Sunday Observer'. There was a cricket tournament called "Daily News Trophy in the past, but this year, the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited is sponsoring an outstation club - Ragama Cricket Club.

The ANCL Chairman said that the first winner of the Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Contest was Ranjan Madugalle who went on to captain the Sri Lanka cricket team and now occupies the prestigious seat of Chief Match Referee of the International Cricket Conference.

He said that he has followed Sri Lanka cricket closely as a "lot of water has flowed under the bridge.

I am happy that Mr. Thilanga Sumathipala is back in the saddle."

The Chairman ANCL said that he was happy to see former Interim Committee Chairman Mr. Hemaka Amarasuriya - the Chairman of Singer Sri Lanka at the show. And in lighter vein, Mr. Ladduwahetty said: "I will be very happy indeed if you will invite me for the 50th Observer-Bata show," and in conclusion, he reminded all the schoolboys of that famous adage: "It is not how we won or lost, but how we played the game." Bata Shoe Company Managing Director Kym Bradley said that he was happy to see young boys receiving awards. Mr. Bradley is an Englishman and he is a keen follower of cricket. "Bata is dedicated to support young men and women all over the world.

Bata's sponsorship of the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year has been during an unbroken spell of 25 years during good times and difficult times in the history of the country.

"At the start there were only a few schools playing cricket, but the game has grown in leaps and bounds and its widespread. School cricket is the stopping stone to becoming a national and international cricketer," he said.

Mr. Bradley thanked ANCL for sponsoring two awards this year. He also paid the umpires who officiated as judges of the contest, a big compliment for a job well done and also thanked his home team of Bata for the excellent work done all the years and had a special word of thanks to able lieutenant Errol Nugawela for having made wonderful arrangements in all the 25 years he had been associated with the show.

Laddie Hettiaratchy who was the compere for the 22nd year, did a marvellous job with the mike.

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