St. Sylvester’s College this cricket season are all out to display their great team spirit despite limited facilities. Over the years the school has produced some fine cricketers who have gone on to represent top clubs, the district, and the country with distinction. The St. Sylvester’s cricket team is a hard unit to beat, not least for their fighting qualities.
St. Sylvester’s College has continued to produce good cricketers even without a proper playing field for cricket. This time they are blessed with a good set of players and if things are done in the correct way by the principal, MIC and coach they should perform well.
A school which took up the game the hard way, after it was founded in 1940, after 15 years made a modest beginning by introducing cricket to their sports cadre. It was M.E. Marikar who became the first Sylvestrian to play representative cricket, at a time when St. Sylvester’s College had not taken to cricket in a big way. He played for Moors SC, Sinha Regiment, Kandy Lake Club, Kandy Sports Club and Central Province. The next was Abdul Razak played for Prisons and Government Services both without playing for the school, Nihal Samarasekara became the first to play for the country — before we got test status. Ishak Sahabdeen was the first international player, and then there was Nimal Lewke a fine spinner, in 1967, he was placed second in the Schools’ best bowling list, Malcolm Perera, one time Sri Lanka Cricket Coaching manager, his brothers Anton and Roland, the David brothers Gerard, Kingsley, Sydney and Rodney, N. Herathge, the Jayatilake brothers — Ranjith and Bandu, Gerry Alexander Hidalarachchi, and Mervyn Rodrigo, the first Sylvestrian to win the ‘best outstation schoolboy’ award.
This season they are led by fourth year player H.M. Avidu Herath a stylish right hand batsman. He made some use full scores last season. He is the stumper of the side. His deputy is Heshan Attaragalle he too is a fourth year player, who is a right arm paceman and a hard hitting middle order batsman, the other fourth year player is M.A.K.N. Munaweera a left hand batsman who can keep wickets. The rest of the players in the squad are, these are the third year players J.M.D.K.C.B. Jayasekara a right-hand bat and an off spin bowler, R.M.N. M.J Rajapakse a steady right hand batsman and also a good pace bowler, H.K.G. Nisharika a left hand batsman, M Pavithran a good right arm leg spinner and a hard hitter, J.A.C.L. Jayakody right hand bat and can also keep wickets, C. Hiroshan a left arm leg spinner. Then second year players like M.W.A. Isuranga a right hand bat, B.R.N.M. Balsooriya a left hander. The fresher’s are S.A. Kumar, H.P.M. Hettiarachchi, K.J. Edirithilake, I.L. Jayakody, P.V. Koralegedera, N.D. Wijesinghe, K.J.M.M. L .Silva, G.U.C.S. Rajaguru, S. Rifoshan, R.P.K. Waduge, K.R.R. Jayakody and K.D. Jayasinghe.
They are coached by their 2000/01 captain Jaliya Weerasinghe who is in his fourth year. He is well backed and supported by MIC Palinda Mahee de Silva and the principal T.Ranil .S. Meethiyagoda
The school is hoping to play their Kandy games at the Open Prisons grounds at Pallekelle.
They opened the season with a traditional game against Josephs Vaz College Wennapuwa in Gampola which was a draw. Then they played their first tournament game with St. Joseph's College in Colombo that too was a draw, and the third game with De Mazenod College Kandana which was to be played at Gampola was postponed due to rain and last Friday and Saturday was against S. Thomas’ Mt. Lavinia at Pallekelle.
Rest of the tournament matches are October 30-31 Lumbini College BRC grounds, January 4-5 Zahira College Colombo at Pallekelle, 11-12 Mahinda College in Galle, 25-26 Maliyadeva College at Pallekelle, 29-30 Ananda College at Ananda Mawatha, (traditional games) October 19-20 Kingswood College Police grounds, 26-27 Dharmaraja College Lake View, February 8-9 Mahanama College Pallekelle, 22-23 St. Sebastian's College at Asgiriya Stadium. Their last match is the big match with traditional rivals Vidyartha College, known as the “Battle of the Babes” which will be the 60th encounter. This time all three games, big match, one day and the T 20 will be played at Asgiriya stadium in the month of March, dates are 10-11 (big match) 18 (one day) and the T20 on 19.
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