Trinity’s first innings lead over Nalanda helped them to retain the Mahela-Sanga Challenge trophy while Royal warmed up for the upcoming Battle of the Blues with a good display against Thurstan in two of the key Under-19 Inter-School matches played last week. In the first match played at Nalanda grounds, Campbell Place, Trinity gained first innings points for their total of 275. The Lions’ innings was boosted with two solid knocks from Ranuda Somaratne (91) and Rahal Amarasinghe (75). They then restricted the home team to 143 all out in their first essay. Forced to follow on, Nalanda were struggling at 153 for 7 wickets in their second innings at close.
News
Lions roar, Royal gear for Battle of Blues and Murali’s heroics
Sunday Observer: 01.05.2022
Schoolgirl makes history as Dharmasena rues the present
Sunday Observer: 24.04.2022
The highest individual innings by a local batswoman was registered by 16-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne of Ratnaweli Balika when she smashed an unbeaten 417 against Jayasiripura Junior School in Negombo last Thursday. Most importantly, the marathon knock came in a limited over match. In an almost single handed effort, Gunaratne’s 417 not out enabled her team to score 567 for 2 in 30 overs. She was given a good helping hand by Sandali Weerasinghe who made 78. Jayasiripura were bowled out for 35 runs in 14.3 overs, giving Ratnaweli a thumping win in their Under-19 girls limited overs match.
Big match fever in May and Gura’s dream come true
Sunday Observer: 17.04.2022
The most popular contest of the 44th Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year completes its first month as some of the popular inter-school big matches are about to begin after Sinhala and Tamil New Year vacation. As the 2022 Most Popular Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers contest is about to enter the month of May in two week’s time, the season’s big matches is about to begin with the biggest one of the big ’uns – the Battle of the Blues between Royal and S. Thomas’.
Death of a legend and Mahanama’s rise to stardom
Sunday Observer: 10.04.2022
When I was writing my weekly column on the Observer-SLT School Cricketers, there came the shocking news - the death of a sports news legend. It was saddening to learn of the death of former Deputy Editor and long-standing Sports Editor of the Sunday Observer A. C. De Silva, a well-known Thomian and former water polo referee. He was the Sports Editor of the Sunday Observer even at the time I began my journalistic career exactly 35 years on April 16, 1987. He passed away on Thursday at the age of 80. He played a leading role in the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer since its inception in1979.
School cricketers need the maestro’s guidance
Sunday Observer: 03.04.2022
There has been slow but steady progress in voting as the most popular contests of the 44th Observer SLT Mobitel School Cricketers contest began last week. It was only last December that Sri Lanka’s World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga graced the Observer SLT Mobitel School Cricketers contest, 42 years after he first kissed the glittering trophy. Speaking as the chief guest, Ranatunga warned the country’s school cricketers of the evils of focusing on money while drawing a contrast to his own success without a cent in his pocket.
Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketers launched for 44th time
Sunday Observer: 27.03.2022
Sri Lanka’s premier English newspaper with the largest circulation, Sunday Observer has once again joined hands with Sri Lanka’s national mobile network SLT Mobitel to launch the 44th Observer SLT Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year. The sponsorship presentation of the 44th Observer-Mobitel Schools Cricketers of the Year 2022 took place at the SLT Mobitel head office at Rotunda Gardens, Colombo 3 on Thursday. This marked the launch of the island-wide voting for the Observer-SLT Mobitel Schools Cricketers of the Year commencing from today.
School Cricketer of the Year contest
Sunday Observer: 27.03.2022
The 44th Observer-SLT School Cricketers of the Year contest begins today with voting for the Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer and Schoolgirl Cricketer. Here Chief Marketing Officer of Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd, Shashika Senarath presents the sponsorship of the Observer-SLT School Cricketers of the Year contest to Director, Legal and Administration of ANCL, Attorney-at-Law Rakhitha Abeygoonawardhana. General Manager, Consumer Sales and Distribution of Mobitel, Sugath Abeysinghe and ANCL Manager Channel Publicity, Chanaka Liyanage look on. Pic: Chinthaka Kumarasinghe
Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year
Sunday Observer: 19.12.2021
Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga presents the Observer SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2021 glittering trophy to Navod Paranavithana of Mahinda College, Galle at last week’s Mega Show at the BMICH. From left are SLSCA President Thilak Waththuhewa, Editor-in-Chief, Sunday Observer, Dinesh Weerawansa, ANCL Chairman W. Dayaratne PC, Paranavithana (who won the grand title for the second successive year), ex-captain Ranatunga, CEO of SLT, Kiththi Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Mass Media, Jagath P. Wijeweera, CMO, Mobitel, Shashika Senerath and Education Ministry, Director, Health and Sports, Daya Bandara. Pic: Chinthaka Kumarasinghe
Ranatunga frowns on LPL frolics, warns budding cricketers it is poison
Sunday Observer: 19.12.2021
Poisoned chalice, sour grapes or being around at the wrong time, ex-Sri Lanka cricket captain and one-time World Cup heart-throb Arjuna Ranatunga warned school cricketers of the evils of focusing on money while drawing a contrast to his own success without a cent in his pocket. He fired the warning shots and made the alarm-sounding remarks amid pin-drop silence at the Sunday Observer-SLT Mobitel School Cricket Awards and received a touching applause from hundreds of schoolboys and girls all aspiring to sport the Sri Lankan emblem on the cricket field.
Observer SLT-Mobitel School Cricketer of the Year 2021
Sunday Observer: 19.12.2021
Sadisha Rajapaksa of Royal College who was elected as the Most Popular School Cricketer for the year 2021was unable attend the Awards ceremony due to commitment with the U-19 Cricket squad preparing to meet the England U-19 team. Picture shows a representative receiving the coveted Award from Editor-in Chief Sunday Observer Dinesh Weerawansa on Behalf of Sadisha Rajapaksa
