The stage is set for the 42nd Observer-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year show, except for the final green light from the health authorities.
No sooner the organizers get the final clearance from the health authorities due to Covid-19 pandemic, organizers are ready to declare the earliest possible date for the Mega Show.
The original schedule was to host the show on November 18 before it was postponed indefinitely due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, which badly affected the Western Province.
Since the schools in the Western Province are yet to reopen and the indefinite postponement of the GCE Ordinary Level examination, it is too early to predict on a possible date for the Observer-Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year show.
However, it is likely that the show could be expected later next month, depending on how the Covid-19 pandemic second wave would regularize.
When we planned the show originally on November 18, we had permission from local health authorities to accommodate 600 guests, more than half of the capacity of the BMICH. Hence, we would patiently wait until a suitable earliest date to the dream day of all school cricketers.
After the break we got from the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, we successfully conducted the selection panel meeting under the patronage of the chairman of the National Selectors, Ashantha de Mel. With the participation of the top officials of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) and the umpires associations, the selections have now been made in identifying the top school cricketers who will be honoured.
The 42nd Observer-Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketers of the Year were also identified through voting which was concluded at the end of October. After some keenly contested rounds of voting, Anuda Jayaweera of Ananda College, Colombo 10 and Nimesha Wijesundera of Marapola MV, Minuwangoda were voted the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular School Cricketers of the Year after an exciting finish.
Jayaweera accounted for the 2020 Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year with a comfortable lead as the counting ended.
The opening batsman of Ananda polled a staggering 83,897 votes to be the clear winner and become the 2020 Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year. However he could not better the all-time record of the highest 100,000 plus votes polled by former Sri Lanka cricketer and Royalist Ramith Rambukwella when he became the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2011.
Royalist Ahan Wickramasinghe finished the runner up. Although he polled over 3,000 votes on the final round count, it was still not good enough to cut off the deficit with Jayaweera. Second-placed Wickramasinghe polled 77,091, giving Jayaweera a comfortable lead. Lohan de Soyza of Dharmasoka College who went down to third place about a couple weeks ago, finished there with 75,611 votes.
Jayaweera hopes to produce a champion performance next year. “I have one final First X1 cricket season for Ananda. I want to make it even more colourful by winning the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title next season. If l could do that, it would be a creditable achievement,” he said.
“The main goal next year is to give Ananda a solid foundation in every match. I want to be highly successful as an opening batsman next season. I want to be among the first, if not the first, to complete 1,000 runs next season. That would take me even closer to the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title in 2021,”Jayaweera said.
He thanked Ananda College present and old boys who rallied round by voting in their numbers during the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2020 contest.
Nimesha Wijesundera of Marapola MV, Minuwangoda polled an aggregate of 60,003 votes to become the 42nd Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year 2020. Wijesundera has always been within the top three places in the 42nd Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year contest and had a sweet lead in the last few weeks.
Emerging runner-up was Renuka Damayanthi of Bandaranayake MV, Gampaha with 55,098 votes. Suranja Lakmali of Gonapola BMV polled 54,107 votes to finish third in the final placing.
Marapola Maha Vidyalaya captain Wijesundera said she was delighted to climb in the most popular contest.
She has been an exciting all-rounder – an attacking left-handed one-drop batter and a penetrative right-arm leg spinner. She said the most popular crown was a huge backing for her career as a schoolgirl cricketer.
“The win was a remarkable one. I am really happy to clear that big hurdle to win. I had to be content with the second place in the most popular contest last year,” she said.
Wijesundera aims to represent the Sri Lanka women’s team in the near future. “A place in the national team is my ultimate dream. I also have a dream of playing in an international Premier league T20 championship in the future,” she said.
The 42nd Observer-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year 2020 is organized by Sri Lanka’s flagship English newspaper the Sunday Observer and sponsored by the country’s national mobile service provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel.
The Lake House Chairman and board of directors have always given their fullest support to keep the Mega Show alive.
Sri Lanka’s flagship English newspaper - the Sunday Observer, understood the need to recognize the raw talent of the country’s schoolboy cricketers at a time when there had been no organized inter-school cricket tournaments, apart from the traditional First XI matches of the so-called leading schools.
Under the directions of the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom and SLT Mobitel Rohan Fernando, the Chief Executive Officer of SLT Mobitel Nalin Perera has made a lavish contribution towards the success of the event during the past decade.
Thanks to the longstanding association of the Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA), the Sri Lanka Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), headed by Shammi Silva, the Observer-Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year contest has gone from strength to strength.
Over the past 42 years, all top Sri Lanka cricketers have commended the exemplary role played by the Observer-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year.
Chairman/CEO of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, President’s Counsel W. Dayaratne, together with Director Editorial Dharma Sri Kariyawasam, Director Legal and Administration Rakhitha Abeygunawardhana, Director Finance Janaka Ranatunga and Director Operations Canishka Witharana have helped this show to go from strength to strength.
