Salinda,Piyumal and Lakshan Most Popular

Salinda Ushan Perera of Isipathana College was voted as the Most Popular Sunday Observer/ Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer 2016 in the platinum category for division one schools while Piyumal Sinhawansa of St. Anne's College Kurunegala (gold div. 2)) and Lakshan Fernando from De La Salle College Mutwal (silver div.3) were placed first in their respctive segments at the end of the final count a fortnight ago.

Salinda Ushan polled in 70,878 votes while Sinhawansa had 31, 528 votes and Lakshan was placed third with 15,728 votes against his name.

Salinda Ushan became a strong contender for the title mid- way at the competition with a lot of support coming from his school Isipathana prior to clinching the award. Salinda a top scorer for his school; during the last school cricket season also represented the Sri Lanka Under 19 national team .

Piyumal Sinhawansa from St.Anne's College Kurunegala also has been a prolific scorer for his school during the concluded school cricket season. Sinhawansa represented his school while at grade 4 and has played in all age groups while at school as a left arm leg spinner. Last season he took 86 wickets and also captured 6 for 86 in their annual big match last year against Maliyadeva. At the moment he is preparing for the 2016/17' school cricket season which will be his last.

Lakshan Fernando from De La Salle College, Mutwal the winner of the silver for division three is another promising player in the school cricket circuit. He too represented the Sri Lanka schools under 19 teams It may be for the first time a player from De La Salle has been voted for the title which will be a great encouragement for the players from lesser known cricket playing schools. In fact the La Sallian brothers schools like St. Benedict's Kotahena, St.Sebastian's, Moratuwa, De Mazenod, Kandana, and St. Anne's ,Kurunegala to name a few schools of the La Sallian community have excelled at cricket and produced great cricketers who have represented the country at Test level which is too numerous to mention. Duleep Mendis the former Sri Lanka Test captain first played for St.Sebastian's prior to joining S.Thomas' Mount Lavinia and Ranjit Fernando a Benedictine was the vice captain of the Sri Lanka team under Anura Tennekoon before gaining Test status. Both Mendis and Fernando played in the first Prudential World Cup played in England in 1975.