Kamindu Mendis is the best of the best
For young Kamindu Mendis the path is almost clear. Up to now his record has spoken for itself and that mere fact made our task of selecting Schoolboy Cricketer of the year was made easier that we thought.
While at school when at walked on to the crease for Richmond, he scored hundreds and he was the automatic captain for the SLC Under 19 team. Besides that when he bowls he is ambidextrous.
Kamindu is the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018 and his performances in the school tournaments and in the inter national arena reasonably justifies the selection. Kamindu has already begun his journey in the path of cricket, and is currently in action in the ongo ing Sri Lanka Cricket Super 4 Provincial Limited Overs Tournament, representing Team Colombo.
Besides winning the topmost award in the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018, Kamindu has two other awards under his belt -- the Best Batsman and Best Fielder awards in the All-Island Schools category. Winning a hat-trick at any event will be dream run for any athlete and Kamindu, deservedly has earned this honour. He belongs to the generation of national cricket.
Coming second best to Kamindu is Savindu Peiris of Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa, who will be crowned the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018 runner-up. Savindu became the Best Allrounder in addition to finishing second best among Bowlers among All-Island Schools.
Hareen Buddhila of St. Aloysius College Galle won the Best Bowler award making Savindu to second best, while two St. Joseph's College players finished second to the best of the best, Kamindu Mendis in the two award categories he clinched. Josephian Revan Kelly was the runner- up in the Best Batsman while his team mate Sachintha Ravindu was the runner-up in the Best Fielder both behind Kamindu, the showstopper.
S. Thomas' College will have many reasons to rejoice this season with the brand of cricket they dished out during this season. To garnish their top award was Dellon Peiris' success as the runner-up in the Best Allrounder award, which the top was won by Cambrian, Savindu. Then came the second, when Sithara Hapuhinna was picked as the Best Wicketkeeper, ahead of Teron Baskaran of D.S. Senanayake College.
After heavy scrutinise S. Thomas' College was declared the Best All- Island Team, for their unbeaten record and by virtue skipper Dellon Peiris was named the Best Captain.
Coming second best to the Thomians were two teams from the south, who maintains a healthy rivalry in cricket -- Richmond and Mahinda colleges. Both teams were declared joint runners- up after heavy discussions and hot air that came across.
The southern region looks to have a healthy system of producing good cricketers as Raveen Yasas of Devapathiraja College, Rathgama was named the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Emerging Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2018. Raveen should definitely be proud of his achievement as he became the Best Batsman among Emerging Schools, which includes institutions that play Division II and III cricket, and help his team reach Division I next season.
Coming second to Raveen at both occasions is Randeera Ranasinghe from St. Anne's
C o l l e g e Kurune g al a . Randeera emerged runner-up in Emerging Schoolboy Cricketer, Best Batsman and Best Allrounder, which was won by Pathum Madushanka of Devapathiraja Rathgama.
Tamashana Abeykoon of St. Anthony's College Kandy emerged the Best Fielder among Emerging Schools as Ishara Maduwantha of Karandeniya Central pocketed the runner- up award. After a long lapse St. Peter's College Negombo produced a champ, when Umesh Kurera grabbed the Best Wicketkeeper award while its runner- up title went to Kavindu de Livera of Devananda College, Ambalangoda.
Rohan Sanjaya Silva of Tissa Central, Kalutara was the pick among the rest, as he became the Best Bowler among Emerging Schools, while Chathura Jayanath proved cricket is for all when he won the runner-up title and gave his school, Debarawewa National School in Tissamaharamaya, the much needed attention.
Tissa Central College, Kalutara had a good record to be named the Best Emerging Team as St. Anthony's College, Kandy emerged runners-up. Awards for teams on Provincial level were also picked by the selection committee prior to selecting the winners of the newly introduced category, the Girls' Schools.
With cricket among girls picking up gradually, it was an easy task to pick the best with only one official tournament taking place. Worthy champions, Devapathiraja College, Rathgama were declared the Best Girls' Team while Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda emerged runners- up. Kaveesha Dilhari of Devapathiraja, was picked the Dialog 4G-the Sunday Times Most Promising Girls Cricketer of the Year 2018.
Special Dialog 4G awards
With enthusiasm picking up, Dialog Axiata, the partners of the show, introduced a new set of awards for the ever improving awards ceremony, all related to their brand Dialog 4G and its main theme --speed. Two of the awards were based on the theme and the third was on the fastest to 1000 runs. From the Limited Overs competition the Dialog 4G Fastest to 50 Runs award was claimed by Josephian Revan Kelly while the Dialog 4G Fastest to 100 Runs went to Hasitha Boyagoda of Trinity College, Kandy.
The Dialog 4G Fastest to 1000 Runs award had just one contender and that was none other than Revan Kelly of St. Joseph's College. The fourth award was for the Dialog 4G Most Number of Outright Wins in 2018, which Richmond College Galle claimed with ease.
ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2018
The organisers also made it a point to recognise and honour the Sri Lanka Under-19 team that participated in the ICC Under- 19 Cricket World Cup 2018, held in New Zealand. This team was led by the glamour boy Kamindu Mendis and the team had a total of 15 players. Hasitha Boyagoda of Trinity College, who claimed the world record for the highest knock in a Youth ODI, is in line to receive the Most Promising Player from the international competition.
The talents of all schoolboy cricketers were highly considered and scrutinised before being aptly picked by a large selection panel of experts, headed by renowned cricketing personality Jayantha Seneviratne, the Chairman. Others who contributed with their expertise were Brendan Kuruppu, Carlton Bernadus, Aubrey Kuruppu, Upul Sumathipala and Lakshman Ranasinghe as independent judges, SLSCA officials Oshara Panditharathna (President and Co- Chairman of Selection Panel), Dilshan de Silva (Secretary), Jagath Senaratne (Vice President), Kapila Jayalath (Vice President), Nihal Fernando (Treasurer), Kamal Indrajith (U-19 Tournament Secretary) and representing the Association of Cricket Umpires' -- Daminda Cooray (Vice President), Harsha Peiris ( Vice President), Rohitha Kottachchi ( General Secretary), Thassim Junkeer (Assignment Secretary, Rohan Chandrakantha (Assistant General Secretary) and Nishantha Dissanayake ( ExCo/ Provincial Representative). The statistics for selection was provided by Batsman. com run headed by Kumara Gamhewage and his team consisting Chaminda Kaushan, Eranga Madushanka and Viraj, based on matches played in the concluded Singer Schools Under- 19 Cricket Tournaments. The coordinator for the selection and the event is evergreen Ajit Bodinagoda.
All winners have been given prior notice by the organisers to gather at the BMICH in Colombo on June 20 which will be the special day dedicated for them. The eventful Wednesday promises to be an unforgettable one to all winners in particular those who won the top awards. Dialog Axiata and the Sunday Times humbly wish that, all winners will be able to continue with their fine performances, which were helpful in being recipients of these awards, to reach greater heights in cricket.