Battle for top position begins

Indications of a battle for the top position of the All-Island Schools segment is brewing up with the deficit between the top two contestants coming down to 1053 votes as the 20th week results of the Dialog 4G- the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2019 contest come out.

The hint has been delivered by second-placed Pasindu Ushetti of Maris Stella College, Negombo, who blasted in with a record 5291 combined vote addition to reach 16031. Leader Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College added 2345 votes combined to take his tally to 17084. With just six more weeks remaining to close, the competition is set to definitely fire up more aggressively than it was. Way behind at third is Muizz Rafeel of St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. If he or others down the line aim to reach the top, it's more miles in the remaining six weeks.

The Emerging Schools category is still led by Lithija Kalhara of Ananda Maithree NS, Balangoda, who reaches the milestone of 10000 plus combined votes. Vishal Nagasena of St. Peter's Gampaha and Thanusha Sandaruwan of St. John's Nugegoda follow in. Sathya Sadeepani of Devapathiraja College Rathgama too proved that she is keen to finish what she started, while continuing to lead the Girls' Schools category, which was introduced to the ever popular competition in the country last season.

Coupons will be published in the Sunday Times, the two English dailies, the Daily Mirror and DailyFT, and the two Sinhala dailies, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada, Sinhala Weekend Deshaya and TamilMirror.

In addition Dialog Axiata's online voting system through their official Online Portal to vote for the Most Popular Cricketer (www.dialog.lk/cricket), is now alive.

Schools have been categorised under three categories -- the All- Island, Emerging and Girls schools, according to the segmentation process of Sri Lanka School Cricket Association.