School cricket gathers momentum

By A. C. De Silva

CRICKET AWARDS: The 32nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Awards ceremony held last Monday at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hall at the BMICH had many pleasing moments. The fair amount of spectators that gathered at the hall to see the schoolboy stars get their rewards for the hard work they put in during the season saw for themselves hitherto unseen schoolboy stars from far fetched places.

There were cricketers from Kokuvil Hindu College - picked as the Best Up-and-Coming Team and there was also the team from Jaffna College, Wattukoddai - the Best Team from Northern Province and Jaffna Central College - the runners-up, then Anuradhapura too came into the picture with Anuradhapura Central College - the Best Team in the Northern Province. Then from Panadura there was Royal College - the Best Team - Outstation with Asoka Vidyalaya - the runners-up. Then it was quite refreshing to see Maris Stella College, Negombo getting the award for the Best Behaved Team,

In the individual awards, there was Malinda Samarasinghe of Maris Stella College, Negombo coming on top of the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer Outstation and the runner-up was Krishan Wickremarachchi of Gamini M.V., Bentota. In the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Outstation, the winner was Chathuranga Gunasekera of Tissa Central, Kalutara while the runner-up was Ruwantha Kellapotha of St. Thomas' College, Matale.

It was also heart-warming to see Romesh Buddhika of Mahinda College, Galle marching up to the stage to receive the award for the runner-up in the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year All Island. There was Buddhika again who marched up stage to receive the runners-up award the Best Batsman's contest All-Island.

The dawn of peace in the North and in other war-torn districts for something like a blessing in disguise for the sports-loving public of Sri Lanka. The youngsters really have made full use of the prevailing peaceful atmosphere and cricket can well be termed as the winner with schools re-starting their cricketing activities in no uncertain manner.

The schoolboy cricketer of the Year competition has journeyed up North and East and with lasting peace being prevalent all round, Sri Lanka's sport stands to gain much.

The cessation of hostilities was the final bit of happy news that came to schools all over the island, especially in the North and it was a happy former top award winner Ranjan Madugalle who inaugurated the launch of the Schoolboy Cricketer web site to get proceedings moving at the show.