Malinda the 'Outstation Star'

CRICKET: Maris Stella College, Negombo captain Malinda Samarasekera is the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer Outstation. He won the contest with 82,892 votes, while Krishan Wickremarachchi of Gamini M.V. second with 81,415 votes and S. Rajaguru of Nugawela Central in third position 78,009 votes.

Malinda in captaining the Maris Stella team had a successful season leading the team through an unbeaten season and his fine leadership enabled the team to qualify for the limited overs tournament of SLSCA.

He started his cricket from the under 13 age group at Maris Stella College and continued to play, captaining the under 13, under 15, under 17 and under 19 teams. He reached his peak period in cricket during the 2008-2009 season during which he scored over 500 runs for the school and over 200 runs including three half centuries for his club - Negombo CC in division two cricket tournament.

He captained Gampaha District team in the Inter-District Tournament as well as Western Province North "Outter" team in the Inter-Provincial Under 19 Tournament in 2008-2009 conducted by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. In the Inter-Provincial Tournament his team became joint champions with Central Province while the District Tournament was played until the completion of the first round. His team was unbeaten and they won all the matches played.

He had somewhat a lean patch in the middle of the 2010 season due to ill-health.

He scored 360 runs in the scheduled matches during the season too with a fine knock of 90 against Wesley and they won the limited-over tournament match. Samarasekera as skipper had the satisfaction of seeing one his team members - Dasub Shanka scored a mamoth 240 against Kingswood which enabled him to aggregate over 900 runs for the season, which is a new high for Maris Stella.

Maris Stella remained unbeated during the season with five outright wins ... against St. Servatius Matara, President's College Kotte, St. Anne's College, Holy Cross, Kalutara, Revatha MV Balapitiya. They remained unbeaten playing against stiff opposition like Trinity, Richmond, St. Joseph's and St. Peter's.

Malinda Samarasekera led the team well and they also had the honour of being selected as the 'Best Behaved Team'. He besides his cricket, Malinda is a good student too, being successful at the GCE Ordinary Level with 8 'A' passes.

He is presently studying in the Bio stream in the 'A' Levels. He comes from a family with a lot of cricket background. His elder brother Haren Samarasekera played for Royal, his second brother Shalinda Samarasekera played for Maris Stella too.