CCC School of Cricket to defend "Pepsi Cup" in Bangalore

The popular 'All India Pepsi Cup Cricket Tournament' will be held for the XXIInd (Twenty second) successive year in Bangalore, India from May 21 to 31 May 2008.

The organisers, the famous Imtiaz Ahmed Cricket Academy, Bangalore, have once again exclusively invited CCC School of Cricket to participate in the Tournament.

CCC School of Cricket, under the direction of veteran coach Nelson Mendis, will be sending their Under 13 and Under 11 teams for the tournament.

While the U-13 team will be defending the championship won during the last two years, the U-11 team will be participating for the first time in the series, to gain experience and test their strength against foreign opposition.

The tournament, which is open for U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and open category is by invitation, and many cricket playing cities in India - Viz Bombay, Kolkatta, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore to name a few, will be participating in this two - weeks long tournament.

CCC School of Cricket, who have been participating in this tournament for the last six years have done creditably well to win the U-13 Championship for the last two years.

They won the title in 2006 and 2007 and created history as the first Sri Lankan Cricket Academy to win honours in an open tournament on foreign soil. Last year, apart from winning the Championship, CCC player Imal Liyanage won the Man of the Final and Man of the series awards.

This year the CCC Under 13 team will be led by Danush Peiris - a dashing allrounder from S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, who is a brilliant right hand opening batsman, who last week blasted an unbeaten century with 12 sixes with five of them coming in five successive balls against Mahanama College in a practice game. Peiris is also the opening bowler of the side with his R/Arm swing bowling and is quite fast, too. A knowledgeable leader who also has a positive approach.

Another good allrounder, who represents President's College, Kotte, Dilshan Kadawathaarachchi will be the deputy skipper. A very talented left-arm spinner, who has done well to get selected to the spinners squad for Sri Lanka juniors, will be the leading spinner. He is also a solid right hand batsman who bats in the top order. Much is expected of him on tour.

The batting will depend on the Captain, Vice Captain, Openers Kanishka Perera and Trishan Tanuja and all-rounders, Uvin Atukorale, Janith Dias and Avinash Devarajan. Bowling, too will be in the safe hands of placemen Dhanush Peiris, Trishan Tanuja, Kanishka Perera and Uvin Atukorale, while the spin attack consisting of Dilshan Kadawathaarachchi, Chethiya Dineekshaka and Janith Dias all three left arm spinners and right arm leg spinners Avinash Dewarajan and Vimukthi Talwatte (Right arm off-spin) will be the others. Janith Dias and Yasiru Rabel are the to keepers of the side.

The team's strong-point will be their fielding with all the players doing their best in this department.

The Under 11 team's Key players are the twin brothers Gavin (Captain) and Trevin (Vice Captain) Karunaratne, Ayesh Weeraratne a promising allrounder, Maheshwaran Vithwasaharan - a left arm spinner and Kalana Hettiarachchi an accurate medium pace. Trevin is the stumper of the side.

The touring U-13 team will be Danush Peiris. (STC Mt. Lavinia), Dilshan Kadawataarachchi, Kanishka Perera and Janith Dias (All from President's College, Kotte), Uvin Athukorale, Vimukthi Talwatte, Yasiru Rabel and Peshala Kalansooriya (all from Ananda College), Avinash Devarajan, Ashwanth Nagendran (Both Royal College), Trishan Tanuka (St. Joseph's College), Chetiya Dineekshaka (Nalanda College), Roshan Abeygunasekera (C.W.W. Kannangara MV) and Niroshan Kodagoda (Carey College) Under 11 team - Gavin Karunaratne (Capt.), Trevin Karunaratne (V. Capt), Maheshwaran Vithwasaharan, Aaqil Yoosuf (All from Royal College), Yoshitha Athhukorale, Harindu de Silva and Umesh Kalansooriya (Ananda College), Nisal Suriyaarachchi, Pramukth Rodrigo, Naveen Fernando (St. Joseph's College) and Kalana Hettiarachchi (D.S. Senanayake College).

The teams will be accompanied by Nelson Mendis (Manager cum Head Coach), Udaya Athukorale (Asst. Manager), Dr. Aruna Rabel (Hony Physician) Lasantha Kumara (Coach U-13) and Mohan Liyanage (Coach U-11).