Chilaw Marians hope to provide exciting cricket

Chris Dhambarage

Chilaw Marians Sports Club with an excellent track record intact are hoping to provide some entertaining cricket during the Sri Lanka Cricket organised Premier inter club limited overs and League tournament for 2007/08.

They have always finished among the top five ever since they were promoted into the SLC Division One tournament in the year 2000. They have reached the top ladder of the domestic scene through some real hard work and are determined to continue with their outstanding form.

This season of course they have experienced mixed fortunes but all their players have shown a lot of commitment which is a good sign for the rest of the season. In fact Chilaw Marians SC is a club that depends mostly on team work and this has been the main reason for all their success in the recent past.

They may not have the services of some of the star players but they have rallied around with the limited resources and have made steady progress during the current season.

They have always made their presence felt in the under 23, Premier Limited overs and Premier League and Twenty20 tournaments which is a clear indication of their consistency. Chilaw Marians SC of course came into the limelight during the 2000 inter club season where they emerged champions in the SLC P. Saravanamuttu Trophy tournament.

That was just the beginning for their road to success and from there onwards they have brought down some of the more fancied teams with their giant killing performances.

They have a very good record in the domestic scene having won the Premier Plate title on three successive occasions from 2001. In addition they have emerged champions of the SLC under 23 tournament on three occasions and were the runners up on three occasions.

They further underlined their supremacy when they emerged joint champions along with Tamil Union in the Premier limited overs tournament during the 2004 season. In the same year they established a then World record by scoring 228 for 4 in the SLC Twenty20 tournament final encounter under the captaincy of Hasantha Fernando.

In 2005 Chilaw Marians SC under the leadership of Ishan Muthalib emerged runners up in the SLC under 23 tournament.

In the same year they were the runners up to SSC in the Premier League tournament as well as in the Twenty20 tournament and were the losing semifinalists in the Premier limited overs tournament.

Their performances in the recent past have been even more significant considering the fact that they are still suffering without a playground of their own.

As a result they have been forced to organise their weekly practices at the Thurstan College grounds and also to hire some of the other grounds for their home matches.

Their long standing coach Mahesh Weerasinghe said that this year they have a well balanced team and are even more determined to prove their capabilities.

He paid tribute to the club President Erwin Fernando and long standing secretary Godfrey Dabarera who has done a tremendous amount of work for the benefit of the club.

It is simply because of their efforts that Chilaw Marians have been able to produce some of the outstanding players in the calibre of Hasantha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Dinuka Hettiarachchi, Mahela Udawatte, Janaka Gunaratne, Charith Sylvester, Nimesh Perera, Milinda Siriwardena and Amal Athulathmudali.

Chilaw Marians SC have also got the services of former Sri Lanka player Gamini Perera as their spin coach for the current season.

Chilaw Marians SC's remaining fixtures: (Premier limited overs tournament):

December 1 v Moors SC at Braybrooke Place

December 2 v CCC at Maitland Crescent

December 8 v Bloomfield at Reid Avenue

December 9 v NCC at Maitland Place (Premier League tournament):

January 17-20 v Baduraliya SC at Havelock Park

January 24-27 v Moors SC at Braybrooke Place

February 7-10 v Bloomfield at Reid Avenue

February 14-17 v Ragama CC at Braybrooke Place

February 21-24 v Tamil Union at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium

February 28-March 2 v NCC at Maitland Place

March 6-9 v SSC at R. Premadasa Stadium

March 13-16 v Colts CC at Havelock Park

March 20-23 v CCC at Maitland Crescent.