Most Popular Cricketer All Island:

Angelo should go places in big-time cricket

Leslie Fernando

St. Peter's College captain and allrounder Angelo Perera is the Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer All Island 2009.

Angelo won the All Island Contest with a outstanding total of 37,456 votes having received 23,754 votes on the final coupon number 10.

The World Cup Youth player Angelo, now playing for Colts Cricket Club in the Premier Under-23 Cricket Tournament is making a strong bid to get into the National Development Pool.

Angelo who is also short listed for the All Island Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year Award as well as for awards for the Best Batsman, best Allrounder and Best Captain 2009 by the Panel of Umpires.

He started his cricketing career at the age of 9 years.

At St. Peter's College, he was coached by Roger Wijesuriya, former Sri Lanka coach who was helped by other coaches L.H. Sunil, Janaka de Silva.

A fifth year coloursman, Angelo was St. Peter's vice captain 2007-2008 season. In the 2008-2009 season, he captained the Peterites reaching several milestones in his career.

A right-hand batsman, Angelo scored 1,543 runs which included five centuries - against Kalutara Vidyalaya 157, Nalanda 239, S. Thomas' College 103 not out, Maris Stella College 155 not out, Revatha Vidyalaya 188 and five half centuries - against Prince of Wales 87, St. Anthony's Katugastota 62, St. Benedict's College 58, St. Aloysius College 60, St. Joseph's College 63 for a battings average of 78.00.

He was a very effective bowler too and claimed 62 wickets in the school cricket season. Some of his bowling feats were against Joseph Vaz College 6 for 39 and 4 for 24, Royal 6 for 92, Trinity 4 for 46, St. Benedict's College 4 for 50.

In the Joe-Pete limited over match, Angelo made a fine unbeaten knock of 128.

In the Munchee Trophy one-day matches, he did well in both batting and bowling and in the final, won the award for Best Batsman and Man of the Match.

The year 19 is memorable for Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer Angelo. He led the Peterites admirably and helped them to victory in five matches while the Petes got five first innings wins too.

Most Popular Outstation Cricketer

Indunil Kumara the star from Ratgama

Leslie Fernando

S.H. Indunil Kumara, Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Ratgama captain and allrounder won the Outstation Most Popular Schoolboy Cricket Award with a majority of 15,014 votes over Krishan Wickremaarachchi of Gamini MMV, Bentota. Indunil received 21,761 votes while Krishan received 6,469 votes. In the final coupon (No. 10) Indunil polled 37,036 votes and Krishan polled 22,022 votes. Malinda Samarasekera of Maris Stella College, Negombo took third position with 15,564 votes.

Indunil is an outstanding cricketer of Devapathiraja Vidyalaya. He has performed well with both bat and ball and also has led the team with authority.

Under his leadership, Devapathiraja Vidyalaya has performed exceptionally well, winning six matches of the ten games played during the season, two games were drawn and two matches were lost.

Indunil was the most consistent batsman of the side. He scored 906 runs with three centuries..... against Karandeniya MMV 110, Vidyaloka Vidyalaya, Galle 137 and 117 vs P. De. S. Kularatne Vidyalaya.

In the bowling department, Indunil has captured 46 wickets. Best bowling figures were 6 for 67 against Aluthgama Vidyalaya.

He had a match haul of 9 for 89 against Gamini MMV, Bentota.

Indunil has been playing cricket for Devapathiraja Vidyalaya since he was 12 and has captained the under-13, under-15 and topped all by captaining the first eleven team.

He has also represented the Southern Province Schools team in the Inter-District Cricket Tournaments in 2008 and 2009.

He will make every effort to see that the Cricket Academy conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket flourishes.