Mahanama’s Yohan Peries brings fame to motherland
Yohan Peries, a former cricketing all-rounder from Mahanama College Colombo, has brought fame to motherland by winning the bronze medal at the Youth Games in Cricket, now as a coach.
The event was held at the Lords’ in London, where Yohan was the brain behind the success of the junior side of Middlesex. Subsequently, after playing briefly in Sri Lanka, he went to the UK and qualified in coaching as well as in umpiring. Yohan’s successes do not come overnight. He had been an important cog of his school in Sri Lanka, Mahanama College, as a performing allrounder before taking up to coaching.
As a player Yohan has scored over 2000 runs and taken over 300 wickets in County League Cricket in the United Kingdom, including wins at the Middlesex Federation Cup for MTSSC 2006, Newcastle Premier League 2009 for Blue Flames, Morrant Chiltrens League 2011 for Taplow ,ETCL Premier League 2011 for Northerns Cricket Club.
He also has won a number of individual merits such as the best bowler’s award for MTSSC in 2005 and 2006, at the Middlesex County Federation Cup in 2006. In 2014 he played for Edmonton Cricket Club at the Dukes Chess Valley Cricket League and took 21 wickets with a phenomenal average 13.33 in five games with best figures of 8 for 66 coming against Hanwell Cricket Club.
Yohan achieved the ECB Level 1 (England and Wales Cricket Board at the Middlesex County Cricket Board in 2006. He graduated in Higher Education in Cricket Coaching at Newcastle College awarded by Leeds Metropolitan University, which is endorsed by Durham County Cricket Board ,United Kingdom in 2009. Then he achieved UKCC Level 1 in 2009 and the UKCC Level 2 in 2011 from Durham County Cricket Board.
He also qualified in umpiring by achieving ECB ACO 1 and 1A Umpire at Ealing, Middlesex County Cricket Board and ECB ACO or the England and Wales Cricket Board Association for Cricket Officials, in 2014 and 2015. He also has stood as an umpire in the Middlesex Championship League. At all levels, Yohan has been in the Panel of League Umpires in addition to holding the distinction of following the Emergency First Aid Sports awarded by St. John’s Ambulance in the UK. Also has followed courses awarded by UK Sports Coach and successful in equity in coaching, safeguarding and protecting children and young people.
Yohan has coached in the UK as the junior coach at Middlesex Tamil Sports and Social Club from 2009 to 2015, at Peter Phillips Cricket in Tottridge Academy, Barnet from 2011 to 2015, at Gihan Herath Cricket Academy from 2013 to 2015, at Revolution Coaching from 2013 to 2015, while also coaching at Barnetborough for London Youth Games, Europe’s biggest school games, in 2014 and 2015. He has coached at the England Tamil Cricket League (ETCL) ,Vernon School of Cricket Academy , Taddington Cricket Club, Finchley Cricket Club, Taplow Cricket Club, Prudhoe Cricket Club and Burnopfield Cricket Club.
In Sri Lanka he became the Head Coach and overall-in-charge of the academy at the Sir Baron Jayatilake Vidyalaya in Colombo from March 2003 to September 2004. Yohan also has played a pivotal role as coach and advisor for Colombo International School at their Big Match in 2015. Presently Yohan is the Coach and Advisor at his alma mater, Mahanama College in Colombo.
As a coach, Yohan has won the most prestigious medal for London Youth Games 2014 at Lords Cricket grounds by winning a bronze medal. He transformed the Middlesex Country juniors into a winning outfit by guiding them to become unbeaten champions of Under-11, as Cup runners-up in 2013. He also made their Under-17 side unbeaten champions at the England Tamil Cricket League and produced two outstanding junior cricketers for Middlesex county.
Yohan also holds qualifications in Science of Human Movement, Coaching and Psychology of Performance, Programmed Evaluation and Design, Personal and Professional Development, Management and Administration of Cricket and work based projects. He is the second Sri Lankan to achieve this degree after Shehan Samaratunge.