With a fine all round performance during the season:

Shihan does Thurstan proud

Achala Ramanayake

Shihan Kamileen is a schoolboy cricketer who has reached great heights in the local cricket scene. This future Sri Lanka prospect is another product of Thurstan College, which is an institution that produced outstanding cricketers in the recent past.

This 19 year old lad has performed reasonably well both with the bat and the ball during the season. He has scored more than 750 runs in 15 matches including six fifties with his highest score being 93 against Kingswood College, Kandy. His 91 against S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia being special as it was a match saving innings in a difficult situation.

Apart from his batting he managed to capture 61 wickets during the season with two ten wicket hauls against Royal College (12/114) and Richmond College, Galle (10/111).

As fielding plays a key role in cricket, Shihan has contributed a lot towards his team with fielding by holding on to 17 catches and was responsible for eight run outs in the season.

This right-hand hard hitting opening batsman was named as the man of the tournament in "Manchee Gluco Fit Sixes" this year for, his splendid performance with the bat as he scored 120 runs in 5 matches with two not out's of 43 and 38 and also in the same tournament he was awarded the Trophy for highest sixes hitter as he hit 11 sixes in the tournament.

Adding more colour to his performance, at age of 17 he was a member of the Seeduwa Raddoluwa Cricket Club which won the P. Sara Trophy. As he scored 298 runs in 4 matches with four fifties and a splendid 78 runs as he contributed heavily to that victory.

His performance in that tournament made him an automatic choice for the same club which got promoted to play in the Sri Lanka Cricket Premier League Tier 'B' tournament in 2008/09 and as a schoolboy cricketer he was able to play only four limited over matches as he was playing for his school at the same time. But in the given chance he was able to perform well and is looking forward to continue his good work.

In the Thurstan-Isipathana Big match he scored 56 runs in the first innings and in the limited over encounter he was adjudged Man of the Match for his performance.

As any other schoolboy cricketer Kamileen is also looking forward to perform well in the school matches using all his experience for the under 19 schools team, as he has another year to play for his alma-mater and joining the squad in the near future.