Hope peace will dawn in North for Jaffna cricketers to participate - ANCL Chairman

CRICKET AWARDS: Although the Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer Awards are designed to cover the entire country, it was unfortunate that the Northern Province was excluded due to the lack of news from that area. He hoped that things will take a turn for the better and Northern Province will comeback into this competition soon.

So said, the Chairman of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), Bandula Padmakumara, at the Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer Awards ceremony at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on Thursday night.

He started by quoting a few words of Sir Ian Botham, one of the legends of English cricket.

"To me, it doesn't matter how good you are. Sport is all about playing and competing. Whatever you do in cricket and in sport, enjoy it, be positive and try to win."

Padmakumara, said that he was glad to be present at the 29th Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer Awards ceremony for the first occasion as ANCL Chairman, and congratulated all the award winners and whished them all success in both the local and international arena.

Padmakumara further said that he was happy to note that Ranjan Madugalle won the first Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award in 1979.

"He was a budding champion then and went beyond school cricket to shine for his country in Test and One-Day Internationals and now the Chief ICC Match Referee".

The ANCL Chairman also went on to comment that several cricketers who won the Observer-Bata Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards have gone on to represent Sri Lanka with distinction and went on to mention some of them including Arjuna Ranatunga, Roshan Mahanama, Asanka Gurusinha, Kumar Dharmasena, Marvan Atapattu, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera and Farveez Maharoof.

Padmakumara congratulated Ananda's Malith Gunatilleke for winning three awards this year - Best All-Rounder, Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer (All-Island), and Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year.

He thanked Bata Shoe Company of Ceylon Limited and the umpires for their continued support. Welcoming chief guest Sidath Wettimuni, the ANCL chief said that Wettimuni made his international debut in 1981. Wettimuny's made 190 against England at Lord's in 1984 and also was featured in the 1985 edition of the Wisden Cricket Almanac as one of its five cricketers of the year - the first Sri Lankan cricketer to be honoured by the "Bible of Cricket".

- L.G.