Charith Asalanka wins 2016 Singer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award
Sri Lanka Under-19s cricket captain Charith Asalanka of Richmond College Galle won the Singer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year award for 2016 while Ananda College’s Sammu Ashan was adjudged the runner-up. The awards ceremony organised and conducted by the Sri Lanka School Cricket Association under the patronage of tournament sponsors Singer Sri Lanka, was held at the Musaeus College Auditorium in Colombo on Tuesday.
However Asalanka’s award was received by one of his team-mates as he could not make his presence. Asalanka was a member of the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team who are playing an Unofficial Test match against the visiting West Indies ‘A’ side at Pallekele.
Sanjul Abeywickrama and Pramod Maduwantha, both from Isipathana College, won awards for the Best Batsman and the Best Allrounder from the Division I Segment. Ramesh Nimantha of St. Servatius’ College Matara was named the Best Batsman runner-up while Dileepa Akash of De Mazenod College Kandana emerged the runner-up in Best Allrounder.
Two St. Joseph Vaz College cricketers -- Avishka Thulanjana Fernando and Asitha Gihan won the the Best Bowler and Best Fielder awards respectively. Royal College Colombo too grabbed two awards as spinner Lasith Embuldeniya became the runner-up of Best Bowler while his teammate Tiran Danapala emerged the runner-up in Best Fielder. St. Peter’s College and St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa were declared joint champions in the Best Team award. From the Division II Segment, players from Devapathiraja Maha Vidyalaya Ratgama, Dharmaloka College Kelaniya, St. Mary’s College Kegalle and Devananda College Ambalangoda won awards. Among the individual award winners from Division II were Rishith Upamal of Dharmaloka Kelaniya (Best Batsman), Dilshan Keerthi of Siri Piyarathana Padukka (Best Batsman runner-up), Lasith Udage of St. Mary’s Kegalle (Best Bowler), Dilum Sudeera (Best Bowler runnerup), Kavindu Sohan of Devananda (Best Fielder), Nilanka Rukshitha of Devapathiraja (Best Fielder runner-up), Ravin Yasas of Devapathiraja (Best Allrounder) and Dilum Sudeera of Karandeniya Central (Best Allrounder runner-up). Former Sri Lanka opener, national captain and ICC Match Referee, Roshan Mahanama was the chief guest of the ceremony.