All arrangements finalised to crown Niroshan Dikwella

All arrangements have been finalised to crown Niroshan Dikwella as the Batathe Sunday Times Schoolboy All-Island Cricketer of the Year and all-rounder Tharindu Kaushal as the Emerging Schoolboy Cricketer for 2012.

The gala event will take place on July 27 at the Museaus College Auditorium in Colombo. Dikwella, the skipper of Trinity College Kandy and Kaushal, from Devapathiraja Central Ratgama are currently on tour with the Sri Lanka Under-19 team in Malaysia for the Asia Cup.

Dikwella who played all four games in the Asia Cup has managed to accumulate 78 runs in three innings with a best of 66 against India in the semi-finals where Sri Lanka lost. Interestingly Kaushal emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the ongoing ACC Under-19s Asia Cup tournament which will end today. Kaushal topped with 12 wickets in four games with an economy rate of 3.89 while his best being 4 for 19 against Bangladesh. Other award winners from the competition who represented Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup apart from the top duo were Pabasara Waduge and Amila Aponso.

Both Waduge and Aponso too were at their best in the competition despite Sri Lanka having to bow out from the semi-final. Dikwella who was adjudged the Best Captain of the Year was selected as the runner-up in the Best Fielder’s category while his name also appeared in other listed categories.

St. Sebastian’s left-arm spinner Amila Aponso who is also a Sri Lanka Under-19 player was picked as the Best Bowler. Richmond captain Pabasara Waduge was elected the runnerup in the Best Captain’s category next to Dikwella. The grand evening where Sri Lanka’s schoolboy cricketers will be honoured will be graced by distinguished cricketing personalities and the top management of Bata and the Sunday Times.