Sri Lanka's U-19 cricketers off to Bangladesh today

By Ranjan Anandappa

The Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketers will leave for Bangladesh today (Sunday) to play two four-day Tests and five one dayers on their three week tour. At a time when Sri Lanka in need of more junior tours of this nature, this tour is a welcome one as they look forward for team building for the future. This tour takes place after a lapse of a couple of years, since the England Under 19 team played in Sri Lanka in 2011 on a full tour which included three four day games and five one dayers.

Sri Lankan counterparts Bangladesh, have proved that they have improved immensely and the Lankan youth will no doubt have to counter stiff opposition.

The Lankans will be led by Kusal Mendis, a talented left-hand batsman from Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa who narrowly missed the Youth World Cup last year staged in Australia. The team includes many players from the outstation schools. The Vice Captain will be Sandun Weerakkody from Dharmaraja College, Kandy and presently representing NCC in the under-23 tournament.

The Lankan squad includes four fast bowlers, namely Chamika Karunaratne, Binura Fernando (left-arm, Charith Rajapakse (Carey) and Dilshan Kanchana (Devapathiraja, Ratgama). The pace attack will be spearheaded by Royalist Chamika Karunaratne who played havoc in the recently concluded Royal-Thomian cricket encounter helping his school to win that traditional match.

The top order batting of the side which includes skipper Kusal Mendis, Josephian Sadeera Samarawickrema, Minod Bhanuka (Maliyadeva), Dinuk Wickremanayake (Trinity) and Pawan Devinda (Mahanama) have all being scoring heavily in the vicinity of the 1,000 run mark.

So, the batsmen as well as the bowlers will get the opportunity to stamp their class for the future.

Heshan Duminda and Roshan Anurudha, two promising players from Gurukula MV a school from, Kelaniya, were promoted to Division I cricket, have been included in the team with another potential player from Carey College Charith Rajapakse.

The two off spinners from down south A.K. Tyronne (Richmond) and Ramesh Mendis (Dharmasoka, Ambalangoda) have taken 97 wickets each for the season. The other left arm spinner Saveen Nanayakkara also from Richmond has fared impressively during the season.

The tour squad: Kusal Mendis (Prince of Wales) Captain, Sandun Weerakkody (Dharmaraja and NCC), Vice Captain, Sadeera Samarawickrema (St. Joseph's), Kavindu Kularatne (Thurstan), Hashan Duminda (Gurukula MV, Kelaniya), Pawan Dewinda (Mahanama), Binura Fernando (DS Senanayake), Chamika Karunaratne (Royal, Colombo), Roshan Anurudha (Gurukula MV), Ramesh Mendis (Dharmasoka), A.K. Tyronne (Richmond), Saveen Nanayakkara (Rahula, Matara), Charith Rajapakse (Carey College), Dilshan Kanchana (Devapathiraja, Ratgama), Minod Bhanuka (Maliyadeva, Kurunegala), Dinuk Wickrermanayake (Trinity). Manager, Major Shiran Abeysekera, Coach, Naveed Nawaz, Fielding Coach, Upul Chandana, J.W. Indrajith (Schools Representative), Priyantha Wickermasinghe (Physio).