Cricket in Kandy sees a silver lining | Sunday Observer

Cricket in Kandy sees a silver lining

20 September, 2020

Thanks to the Kandy District Cricket Association, the sport is showing signs of developing well at club level and history says cricket was once one of the popular sports of Kandy.

There used to be a strong cricket culture in Kandy in those days with the Belmont Cricket Club, Tioga Cricket Club and St George’s Club as some of the famous teams of that era.

Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa whose vision is to uplift the standard of school cricket in the country will be one of the key players in its progress along with Sri Lanka Cricket.

The cricket loving public in Kandy will be benefited by this fine gesture by Sri Lanka Cricket honoring the proposals of the Central Province which will benefit outstation cricket. It will be a great opportunity for up-and-coming cricketers to upgrade their playing standards and create a pathway to play a higher level of cricket.

It has also been a long felt need for the Kandy District Cricket Association to obtain an Indoor Facility.

In the past players of the calibre of Muttiah Muralidaran, Ruwan Kalpage, Piyal Wijetunga, Mahesh Gunatillake, ACM Lafeer, Marlon Von Haught and Bernard Perera from St. Anthony’s College ,TB Kehelgamuwa, Sonny Yatawara, Chamara Kapugedera, Sadun Weerakkody from Dharmaraja College, Ravi Ratnayake, Nilantha Rathnayake, Kumar Sangakkara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Sachith Pathirana, Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Kumar from Trinity College. Nihal Samarasekera, Ishak Shahabdeen from St.Sylvester’s College, Kosala Kulasekera from Vidyartha College, Asela Gunaratne from Sri Rahula College represented Sri Lanka at various levels.

In a district that has produced so many cricketers, the administration lacks the facilities for schools, clubs and district squads that take part in tournaments organized by Sri Lanka Cricket and the Sri Lanka Schools Association. Many young school leavers who can afford to settle down in Colombo play a higher level of cricket while the others give up the game since there is no major club to play at the highest level.

Sri Lanka Cricket president Shammi Silva visited Kandy recently and observed the proposed location of a three acre land along with Provincial and District officials that has been earmarked for development to be ready by 2021.

With a view of promoting outstation cricket and providing an opportunity for up-and-coming cricketers to upgrade their standards the recommended proposals will be implemented in the Kandy district within a short period of time.

A modern Indoor Facility with 10 pitches, ten side turf pitches, two Astro turf pitches and two matting side nets are among the requirements.

Further infrastructure facilities will be developed at the Pallekele stadium to benefit schools in the outskirts of Kandy along with turf pitches at St. Sylvester’s College and a sprinkler system at the Asgiriya Trinity College ground.

Thanks to the good work of the Kandy District Cricket Association officials, specially Roland Perera the president, Malcom Perera vice president and Janaka Pathirana the secretary competitive cricket is taking root once again.

In total 30 teams are participating, namely Kandy Cricket Club, Old Trinitians SC, Old Antonians SC, Kandy Youth CC, Old Rajans SC, Madawala United SC, Galagedera CC, Prisons SC, Old Sylvestrians SC, Ekamuthu SC, Visuvious SC, Saracens CC, Gampola CC, Southerland SC, Liverpool SC, Zelinicans SC, Blue Universal, Kandy Bloomfield SC, Old Zahirians SC, Black Egale SC, Old Bahuvanns SC, Onslaught CC, Kandy Academy CC, University Staff SC, Madawella United SC, Kandy Doctors CC, Kotmale CC, University SC, Kandy Zeylanikans CC and Galhinna CC are up against one another.

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