Parents pay for travelling, ground fees and cost of balls:

Coach Gunaratne does honorary job:

Amupitiya N.S. Rangala learns cricket the hard way

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

CRICKET: Amupitiya National School, Rangala from the foothills of the famed Knuckles range which is surrounded by virgin forests performed exceptionally well to qualify upto the quarter-finals of the schools under 13 Division III cricket in only their second year in cricket.

Amupitiya National School which has boys student population of only 250, introduced cricket about 18 months ago in an area which has hardly any form of cricket, leave a lone hard ball cricket.

No school plays hard ball cricket as facilities available are nil. There is no ground and all what the little boys have seen was on television this game called cricket.

Former Vidyartha College cricketer Sam Gunaratne who runs a guest house for quiet holiday makers, introduced this game about 18 months ago with the support he received from his friends. They used a barren volleyball court for their practices. But the boys caught up with the game with the inborn talent they possessed.

But finances were a major constrain, coach Sam Gunaratne with the support of the wellwishers helped them out.

Often they had to travel over 50 kilometres to play their home matches at Galagedera as grounds in Kandy are often not available. Kandy is about 35 kilometres. They faced these challenges bravely as the school cannot afford to play this game.

The parents met the travelling expenses and the ground fees and the cost of the balls. The school paid for the umpires. The coach Sam Gunaratne did a honourary job and also dipped 'deep into his pockets' to keep the game alive.

In their first year at cricket they had a season of mixed fortunes, but this year, in the under 13 Division III cricket tournament, they performed well to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Only two schools from the Central Province qualified to this stage of the tournament in any under 13 tournament this year. The other school was Dharmaraja College.

In the quarter-finals, Amupitiya National School lost to Royal College, Colombo 'C' team on the neutral grounds at Katugastota. They lost by 80 runs to an elite school from the City of Colombo with the best of amenities. Though they lost, they won the hearts of all with their performance. Upto that stage they remained unbeaten.

In the other matches played, they beat Wallala Central College, by six wickets, Beat Gamini Dissanayake National School, Hasalaka by one run, beat Poramadulla Central College by five wickets, beat Azar Central College, Akurana by 78 runs, beat Teldeniya National School by 6 wickets, beat D.B. Wijetunga National School by 6 wickets. The school thanked the Sunday Observer for highlighting the cause of Amupitiya National School in its sports columns which caught the attention of Sri Lanka Cricket and the Chairman of the Interim Committee D.S. de Silva donated them two bags of cricketing gear which included bats, balls, helmets, pads, guards etc to the value of over Rs. 5 lakhs. This helped them to perform well and did not allow the game to die a natural death.

Sam Gunaratne is assisted by Vikum Wijewardena in shaping the boys. They are like rough gems and had to be taught everything from the start, said Sam Gunaratne. But they are quick to grasp whatever is taught.

The team is captained by Isuru Rajapakse with Nuwan Rajapakse as his deputy, and with 35 wickets he has been the most successful bowler. Jagath Bandara has captured 30 wickets and medium pacer Isuru Dharshana 20 wickets. Bowling has been their forte getting their opponents out cheaply.

With more exposure, this school is capable of greater deeds in the future if the necessary encouragement and guidance is given.